Coronavirus: Fan tests at stadiums 'still some way off'
Premier League football and other elite sports will be allowed to continue during a four-week lockdown which will start in England on Thursday. They can continue due to the testing in place for professional sportspeople, but amateur sports will be put on hold.
Monday 2 November 2020 08:08, UK
Sports fans are still "some way off" from receiving rapid coronavirus tests at stadiums, according to the company hired by the Premier League to test players.
Prenetics has developed rapid testing technology, with results within 30 minutes.
But they have said that, even when the government allows fans back into stadiums, there are no quick solutions to supporters receiving tests at grounds due to the likely number of people.
"It's very difficult to speculate," Avi Lasarow, Prenetics chief executive, told Sky Sports News.
"I think, realistically, from where we are sitting, that's still some time away. There are multiple scenarios. We think it's probably realistic to build testing stations at core venues, which could be NCP car parks for example, that have land assets available.
"We have started using LAMP technology, from Oxford, and the testing cycle takes approximately 15-30 minutes.
"The capability exists. I can't comment on stadiums in particular but what I can say is that it's highly likely testing generally will be done outside of the environment of the venue, likely at pharmacies, independent pop-ups, around the country".
Prenetics says their rapid testing is 98 per cent reliable and they have mobile technology in place that does not require samples to be sent to laboratories.
"In terms of mobile test centres, Prenetics has deployed them across a number of sports, (including) the ECB this year into the sports compounds for journalists," explained Lasarow. "At that point, it was collection testing centres, just to facilitate the safe collection of the samples.
"However, as technology evolves, we have built mobile analysis units that can actually run the analysis and the process on site, without actually having to go to a laboratory. We're very pleased to be one of the first companies in the UK to do that and, hopefully, we will continue through that process to set the standards that others can achieve as well."
Last month, Prenetics began rapid tests, costing £80, for passengers flying from Heathrow to Hong Kong, working with Collinson, as its biometric partner.
Lasarow has said pricing will reduce "significantly" but would not be drawn on how much it might cost sports fans.
"The more testing that takes place, the lower the costing could become," he said. "It's not for me to comment on what this [testing sports fans] could cost. This is a pilot. Of course, one would expect, over time, testing costs will reduce significantly.
"The most important thing is to be as safe as possible and testing is a key attribute to making that happen. Safety is the number one priority."
Premier League and elite sports allowed to continue during second lockdown
Premier League football and other elite sports will be allowed to continue during a four-week 'circuit break' lockdown which will start in England on Thursday.
They can continue due to the testing regimes in place for professional sportspeople, but amateur sports will be put on hold.
Asked if Premier League matches would still be played, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a Downing Street press conference: "I can say yes to the Premier League. We will get through this. But we must act now to contain this autumn surge."
Gyms will be shut but people can continue to exercise for unlimited periods outdoors, either with people from their own households or on a one-to-one basis with one person from another household.
Closed indoor and outdoor leisure facilities include bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges and theme parks.
The measures, which will begin on Thursday and run through November until December 2, will see the closure of pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops. This will also see a nationwide ban on different households mixing inside homes, although schools, universities and colleges will remain open.
