In an update announced by the league, MLS said 18 players and six staff members received positive tests prior to travel to Orlando, with 668 players tested since early June 2020. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)
MIAMI (AFP) — Major League Soccer announced Wednesday that six players from FC Dallas have tested positive for coronavirus after arriving in Florida ahead of the start of next week’s MLS is Back Tournament.
Two Dallas players tested positive upon their arrival at the hotel on June 27 and the other four tested positive in the past two days when they arrived in Orlando ahead of next Wednesday’s kickoff at Walt Disney World.
All six players have been assessed by a healthcare provider and were moved to an isolated area of the hotel. They will have remote care, symptoms monitored and regular follow-up tests.
The remainder of the Dallas delegation is quarantining in hotel rooms under MLS health and safety protocols pending the results of additional COVID-19 testing.
No other MLS delegation members at the host hotel have tested positive and no other club has been in contact with the Dallas delegation since they arrived in Florida, an MLS statement said.
So far, 392 people have been tested with only the six Dallas positives.
All 26 MLS teams are set to stay in the ‘bubble’ and will play matches without spectators starting next Wednesday.
Before traveling to Orlando, all MLS players, coaches, referees, league and club staff were required to have two negative tests 24 hours apart.
Another test is given when each team delegation arrives and all people are quarantined until the results of that test are known.
© Agence France-Presse