Eight players from Anguilla’s Senior Male National Football Team tested positive for the Covid-19 virus following the match Anguilla vs. Dominica which was played in the Dominican Republic on June 4th.
The Hon. Premier, Dr. Ellis Lorenzo Webster, in the Government’s weekly press conference said on Monday: “There is a sombre mood that hangs over Anguilla, today, due to the fact that several members of the Male National Football Team have tested positive for Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic and Panama.”
He said that he and his cabinet were praying for their full recovery and their safe return to Anguilla. He also expressed his best wishes for the health and safety of the other teammates who were in quarantine and said he hoped that they would soon be able to come back home.
A press release from the Ministry of Health, as read by the Honorable Premier stated in part: ‘“Eight members of the Anguilla Senior Men’s Football Team tested positive for Covid-19 while they were overseas to compete in FIFA’s World Cup qualifier matches held in the Dominican Republic and Panama. Five of the eight positive cases were UK-based players and three are Anguilla-based players. All infected persons are currently asymptomatic. Only one of the eight persons was fully vaccinated.”’
The release continued: ‘“The Anguilla-based contingent consisting of eighteen persons departed Anguilla on May 18th and was subsequently joined by UK and US-based players and support personnel. As per the protocol, all submitted negative PCR tests results prior to travel. PCR tests conducted on June 1st and 2nd in the Dominican Republic confirmed six active cases of Covid-19. Those six persons remain in isolation in the Dominican Republic and did not travel with the team on to Panama. Two additional persons subsequently tested positive (in Panama) on June 4th, bringing the total number of Covid-19 positive cases in the team to eight. These two have also been placed in isolation in Panama.”’
The release reported that 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.
In addition, the release noted that due to the fact that the incubation period for the virus that causes Covid-19 is two to fourteen days, it is possible that other members of the team may also test positive. Therefore, the other team members will be tested after seven days in quarantine and will return to Anguilla if their test results prove negative.
Meanwhile, the Hon. Leader of the Opposition in the Anguilla House of Assembly, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, along with her party colleague, Mr. Cardigan Connor, objected to the players who are not positive remaining in quarantine overseas. They both voiced their views on the weekly Radio Anguilla programme, Just the Facts: “Right now, our soccer players in Panama who need to come home should be allowed to return,” Mr. Connor said. “The fact that they are still in Panama make them more likely to contract the virus. At least if they are here, they would be quarantined here, and our local medical team can monitor them.”
Mrs. Richardson-Hodge also made the observation that there is a risk that the “negative” players can contract the virus while they are in Panama under quarantine: “During their seven days in quarantine there,” she said, “they do run the risk of contracting the virus within the seven days. And if this happens, then they would have to be put in further isolation away from home,” she stressed.
“I just think this is a real tragedy, Mrs. Richardson-Hodge lamented. “Our team has left Anguilla to represent Anguilla, and they need to come back home. I think that there has to be more recognition of them, for they are carrying Anguilla’s banner. I am hoping that the powers that be revisit their decision, because I think it is a really an unfair and harsh decision made to keep the negative tested players in quarantine away from home.”
– Staff Reporter James R. Harrigan
