Anguilla Senior Men’s National Football Team Covid-19 Situation

Source: Covid-19: The Anguillian Response

Eight members of the Anguilla Senior Men’s National Football Team have tested positive for COVID-19 while overseas to compete in the FIFA’s World Cup qualifier matches held in the Dominican Republic (DR) and Panama. Five of the eight positive cases are UK-based players and three are Anguilla-based players. All persons are currently asymptomatic. Only one of the eight persons was fully vaccinated.

The Anguilla-based contingent, consisting of 18 persons, departed Anguilla on May 18th and were subsequently joined by UK and US-based players and support personnel. As per the protocol, all submitted negative PCR tests prior to travel. PCR tests conducted on June 1st and June 2nd in the Dominican Republic confirmed six active cases. Those six persons remained in isolation in the DR and did not travel with the team to Panama. Two additional persons subsequently tested positive in Panama on June 4th, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to eight. These persons have also been placed in isolation in Panama.

Due to the high-risk nature of the contacts among the team members and additional persons testing positive in Panama, the decision was taken to allow the remaining members of the team to shelter in place and remain under quarantine for a minimum of seven days. It is understood that the incubation period for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 disease is 2 to 14 days, therefore other members may still test positive. Persons will be retested after 7 days quarantine and return to Anguilla contingent upon negative PCR test results.

Similarly, those persons who have tested positive for COVID and are currently under isolation will return to Anguilla upon completion of the isolation period and recovery from the virus.