The English Football League has issued advice to clubs to segregate their players depending on their Covid vaccination status or if they have previously been infected, reports have claimed.
The EFL consists of 72 clubs across England’s Championship, League One and League Two competitions.
According to The Telegraph, they have been advised to split up stars in groups such as unvaccinated, double-jabbed, boosted, and previously infected when traveling to and from fixtures to reduce possible coronavirus transmission.
The move comes amid the UK government’s rolling out of Plan B to battle the Omicron variant this week, which includes the reintroduction of the use of facemasks indoors and the need to carry a vaccine passport or provide a negative test result to enter football stadiums and other venues with large crowds.
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<img src="https://cdni.rt.com/files/2021.12/thumbnail/61b2079b85f5403e5579dfe6.JPG" alt="Fans in England will reportedly face new Covid requirements © Toby Melville / Reuters" />
<figcaption><a href="/sport/542655-covid-passports-football-grounds-england/">English football fans are about to be told to provide vaccine passports and tests – report</a></figcaption>
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson reintroduced working from home where possible but encouraged people to attend office Christmas parties, a controversial move as Downing Street battles accusations that it held bashes during lockdown last year.
Meanwhile, the English Premier League has contacted all 20 of its clubs to re-install emergency Covid protocol with both the top tier and EFL advising against end-of-year parties.
The Telegraph’s report further claims that the EFL has instructed teams to separate their goalkeepers in training to reduce the chances of “close contact”.
Above all, the guidance aims to ensure that there are no disruptions to the packed calendar over Christmas and New Year, with the new measures set to last until the end of the next month.
In addition to maintaining social distancing and not sitting down for meals together with their whole squad, EFL players have been ordered to bear in mind contact with others “outside of their bubble”.