England cricket team kept in hotel awaiting Covid results after positive test

England cricket tweeted that the team and management are currently at the hotel awaiting Covid test updates following a positive result in the team’s family group

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The start of day two at the MCG was thrown into chaos following a positive covid test in the England tour party.

Thankfully the remainder of the group all provided negative results meaning they could travel to the ground and get on with the rest of the game.

It is understood not to be a player involved, but rather a family member of the group.

However, the entire tour party was forced to isolate themselves in their hotel rooms until a full round of testing could be done.

Just an hour before England were due to take the field, their players were instead holed up in the Park Hyatt hotel just a short walk away from the ground awaiting news of their lateral flow tests to see how far the virus may have spread through the group.

The negative results came as a relief to players and administrators, although there remains concerns as to whether the LFTs would pick up cases that may well be incubating at the start of their transmission.

All players, support staff and families shared a Christmas lunch together in St Kilda the day before the game and concerns that it may well have been a super spreader event are now at the forefront of Cricket Australia’s minds.

There has also been a positive case reported in the Channel 7 commentary team following on from one in the Fox Sport production team last week.

As a result both main broadcasters have split their crews in half to ensure that the TV productions can continue throughout the Tests in Melbourne and Sydney even if it is done remotely.