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Arsenal have had to pull out of the pre-season Florida Cup because of positive coronavirus cases within the first team and youth team set-up, according to David Ornstein.
EXCL: Arsenal pre-season tour to USA cancelled because of #COVID19 cases in #AFC camp. Small number of positives in travelling party, all asymptomatic. Club working through alternate plans as virus wreaks more havoc ahead of new PL season @TheAthleticUK https://t.co/vUi7ElyuYZ
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 20, 2021
According to Ornstein, all cases are asymptomatic, and hopefully everyone involved has a straightforward recovery. Earlier this week, it had been reported that Inter Milan were considering withdrawing, given the prevalence of COVID-19 in Florida—the state makes up twenty percent of new cases, according to the CDC—but Arsenal have had to withdraw following positive cases at the club. There is a high prevalence of cases in England, which removed all government enforced mitigation strategies on Monday.
Arsenal last week had a number of positive cases within the academy set-up, with the youth team forced to postpone pre-season fixtures. Unless Arsenal have sourced vaccines from elsewhere—and I must stress I have no idea how Premier League teams are handling vaccination—Arsenal’s England-based players under the age of 18 would not be eligible for vaccination, as Britain’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has not approved vaccination for people under the age of 18.
Arsenal were due to play on the 25th and 28th of July.