In the seven days leading up to Sunday, a record 103 positive Covid-19 tests were detected in England’s top-flight football league.
The Premier League has experienced a dramatic increase in cases in the previous two weeks, with 90 cases reported the week before.
Due to Covid-19, 15 Premier League hames have been canceled this month.
In a statement, the Premier League said: “The safety of everyone is a priority and the Premier League is taking all precautionary steps in response to the impact of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
“The League has reverted to its Emergency Measures, and has increased testing of players and club staff to daily lateral flow and twice-weekly PCR tests, having previously carried out lateral-flow testing twice a week.
“The League can today confirm that between Monday 20 December and Sunday 26 December, 15,186 Covid-19 tests were administered on players and club staff. Of these, there were 103 new positive cases.
“The Premier League’s Covid-19 Emergency Measures include protocols such as wearing face coverings while indoors, observing social distancing, limiting treatment time, as well as the increased testing.
“The League is continuing to work with clubs to keep people safe by helping mitigate the risks of Covid-19 within their squads.
“We are also liaising closely with the Government, local authorities and supporter groups, while being responsive to any future changes to national or local guidance.
“The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency.
“No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the League and results will be made public on a weekly basis.”