A Collingwood staff member is being monitored in isolation after contracting coronavirus while overseas. The AFL club released a statement on Saturday confirming the positive test.
However, the AFL premiership season will continue as the unnamed male employee has been in isolation since returning from his trip.
“The staff member who returned from overseas had no contact with anyone at the club,” an AFL spokesperson said in a statement released to AAP. “The person continues to be isolated until fit to return to work.”
Amidst the coronavirus crisis that has gripped the planet, the AFL season was only given the green light to proceed 24 hours before the opening clash between Richmond and Carlton at the MCG.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said on Wednesday that a positive test would cause a shutdown of 14 days, with that period extended to 30 days by the league on Friday. It is unclear who would need to test positive for the season to be halted.
Clubs have put strict quarantines and guidelines around contact with players and coaching staff in place since the outbreak of the virus.
“In accordance with government protocols, the staff member has been in isolation since returning to Australia,” the club statement read. “He is recovering at home and being monitored by the Department of Health and Human Services. Due to quarantine requirements, the staff member has at no point been in any contact with players or staff members at Collingwood since returning and has therefore presented no transmission risk to the club. The staff member will not return to the Holden Centre until medically cleared to do so.”
