We don’t even know how many tests the PL and its member clubs have. They’ve already done one round of tests. A few players have COVID. The science says don’t do another round of tests for at least 14 days. Do they have supply of even more tests after that?
Meanwhile, you have frontline NHS staff who may be walking around with COVID symptomless because they can’t quite simply access a test. They’ll naturally be carriers and pass on the disease to those who are the most vulnerable.
Footballers aren’t responsible. Football has to/wants to carry on because, like anything, it’s a business.
They are therefore being given easily accessible tests (“oh don’t worry Mr Lingard, you don’t have to drive 30 miles to the nearest testing centre like the norms. We’ll come to you and we’ll test you again and again”)
It’s a moral dilemma. There are those who are more in need of tests than footballers right now. It’s rationing that’s gone to shit.
Going back to my previous post about project restart. If there have been positively identified players with COVID right now, what are their follow up plans? When do they test again? Are the tests just going to sit there? Or can they be used for NHS staff? Better still, can’t NHS staff go to a local, more convenient PL stadium to be tested during this interim?
No one is disputing this, though. Are you saying you think the tests should go to waste because footballers don’t deserve them? And I am genuinely curious, is there actually a shortage of tests? I’m reading that anyone can get tested now, not seeing anything about a shortage, but you’re better places to know?
I don’t think there is a shortage of tests. The government has constantly been under its daily testing target.
However, this could be twofold. For some people, you have to travel some distance to be tested (how is this possible? Genuine question for a lot of people). It also may mean time off work to do so.
Furthermore, my understanding at the minute is that only NHS staff can be tested or those within the same household as NHS staff. This has been extended to under 5s and I believe the elderly could always be tested. (Please correct me if I’m wrong on this because, much like COVID news, this is liable to change daily)
This leaves a lot of the population unable to be tested.
Pretty sure if you have any of the symptoms you can ask for a test. Essential workers and the people they live with get priority access.
But yeah, I still don’t really see your issue with PL players being tested. Is it because they don’t have to drive for an hour for the test? I mean, they might have to, depends how far they live from the training ground. But would it make you feel better if they had to book an appointment and go into the hospital?
There isnt a shortage of tests. I know loads of people in my area who have got tested when they’ve requested (Thankfully all were negative).
The Government need to supply and purchase the tests for the NHS and public.
The PL privately test using their resources and private companies. The two are incomparable. End.
Yes. For PL players, they ought to go through the same equal process the rest of the working population do, in my opinion. Drive to a test centre (because that’s the plainly idiotic thing symptomatic COVID patients are having to do right now), get tested and await a result. And then if you feel better but develop similar symptoms again a week later, do the same again.
If the rest of us are having to do it that way, why can’t they?
There was a mini uproar on here when Prince Charles, BoJo and Matt Hancock were tested positive. Why? Because they could get their hands on tests. I feel that that same indignation should extend to footballers.
