16 players and officials from Bulgarian club test positive

July 7, 2020 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Sixteen players and officials from Bulgarian soccer club Cherno More have tested positive for coronavirus, the country’s health minister said Tuesday.

The club from the Black Sea town of Varna said 12 players are among the positive cases.

“Unfortunately, the results found 16 positive samples,” the club said in a statement. “All players who tested positive are quarantined and we have taken the necessary precautions.”

Cherno More played a league game against Tsarsko Selo in Sofia on Thursday. The following day, the laboratory that conducted pre-match tests admitted it had not announced that one of the players on the team from Sofia had tested positive.

Despite the positive tests, Cherno More said the club was still ready to play on Tuesday against Arda Kardzhali. The quarantined players would be replaced by members of the team’s junior squad.

Health Minister Kiril Ananiev said three more players from Tsarsko Selo have also tested positive.

He warned that the government will impose severe measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at stadiums, including at soccer games in empty stadiums.

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