The footballer is positive, but not Thai – Public Health Department

A 29 year old Uzbekistani footballer has tested positive for Covid-19 in the days prior to the first Toyota Thai football league starting today. The entire participating 1,115 football players and staff of the Thai football league were required to conduct a Covid-19 test on Thursday this week before the first match which is scheduled for today. The positive result was announced yesterday afternoon.

Not only the game he was scheduled to play tonight, but all the games that were to be played today in the start of the season’s Toyota Thai football league have also been postponed.

Results of the footballer’s test were announced officially at a media conference called by the Thai Public Health Department yesterday afternoon. The apparent local transmission is the second such case after a golden run of 101 days without a local transmission in Thailand. A 37 year old Bangkok DJ tested positive 9 days ago in a Klong Prem prison corrections facility hospital.

The Uzbekistani footballer, representing Buriram United travelled from Uzbekistan on August 11. He turned in a negative result at the time. He subsequently tested negative 3 more times during his mandatory 14 quarantine.

He’s been reported as “completely asymptomatic” during practice sessions with teammates. During this final week before the series kicks off he’s been staying, alone, at his private residence and visiting the club and a football oval for practice. He’s been transferred by a private car at all times.

The man has now been isolated and in a hospital and is said to remain asymptomatic while another 45 football players and club staff are now identified as “high risk” contacts. They’ve also been placed into state quarantine and tested under the close supervision of public health medical officials.

Additionally, the Public Health officials are tracking and tracing lists of passengers who travelled on the same plane and other people the footballer has come into contact with since his arrival in Thailand.

“It’s possible that the footballer was infected from his home country as he was still asymptomatic and could have been missed in previous testing. They believe he has a low risk of transmission and that the viral load is “mild.” However, all contacts are being traced, tested and quarantined out of precaution”, according to Dr. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, Director-General of the Department of Disease Control.

Meanwhile, the VP of the Toyota Thai Football League says that the match between the Buriram United and the Bangkok Glass United team, scheduled to be held tonight, along with other scheduled matches this weekend, is being postponed, following recommendations from the Public Health ministry.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News