Premier League confirms 11 positive COVID-19 tests after opening weekend

The English Premier League returned Friday with Brentford upsetting  Arsenal, and fans were back inside stadiums despite continued concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The English top-flight reminded everybody Monday that the health crisis is not over. 

"The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 9 August and Sunday 15 August, across two rounds of testing, 3,231 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19," the league explained in its latest update. 

"Of these, there were 11 new positive tests." 

To compare, the Premier League recorded nine positive coronavirus tests from Aug. 2-8. 

As Nizaar Kinsella noted for Goal.com, Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek tested positive for the virus this past Thursday and will be out through Sunday's showdown with Arsenal. Per Greg O'Keeffe of The Athletic, five first-team Everton players were forced into isolation ahead of this past Saturday's win over Southampton due to COVID-19 protocols. 

The Athletic's Peter Rutzler wrote last week that Premier League players were not required to be vaccinated against the coronavirus to take part in the start of the campaign. As things stand today, the British government intends to mandate that players and all other attendees will have to show they're fully vaccinated to be at Premier League matches from October 1.