Quarantine exemption could be removed for Premier League footballers who don’t get vaccinated

The proposed change could see players miss games due to quarantine

Premier League footballers who refuse to get vaccinated have been warned that they could lose their elite athlete exemption and be forced to quarantine for 10 days when returning from abroad. It would mean players competing in Europe and who play for their national team could be at risk of missing out on domestic fixtures when returning from abroad, putting clubs who are already suffering with Covid at under more pressure. Current rules state that those who are unvaccinated must undergo a mandatory 10-day isolation period when returning from another country. However elite athletes are currently exempt and allowed to leave the isolation period early to rejoin with their squads. The proposal for the idea has been brought forward by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries who, according to the Telegraph, would needs to have any plans finalised by prime minister Boris Johnson in order to get the idea pushed through. Premier League bosses are rumoured to be angered by the idea and have argued that by undergoing regular testing, they are doing the upmost to keep players, staff and fans safe. Last month, it was revealed that 16 per cent of top-flight footballers have yet to receive their Covid vaccination whilst the Premier League's chief executive, Richard Masters wrote to all 20 clubs to encourage them to get vaccinated. He said: "We have collectively highlighted the importance of vaccination and it has never been more important.

"This is not only for the obvious benefit of protecting against COVID, but government guidance now dictates that unvaccinated close contacts of positive COVID cases must isolate for 10 days, and there is no exemption or exception to this.

"Please strongly encourage those who are not fully vaccinated to become so, and the many who are, to get their booster, which appears to be the only significant layer of protection against the Omicron variant."

Related links:

• 16% of Premier League players have not had a single vaccine
• Premier League clubs no longer required to take twice-weekly PCR tests
• Unvaccinated players should have their salaries cut, says Fabio Capello