Arsenal close academy after staff member tests COVID-19 positive
Oct 08, 2020
Arsenal [UK], October 8 : Arsenal have confirmed that the club has closed its Hale End Academy after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
"We can confirm that a member of staff from our Hale End Academy has tested positive for COVID-19. The positive test result arrived at 5 pm today and the member of staff immediately left the site to self-isolate. As a consequence, six other members of staff are now self-isolating and we have initiated track and trace for the entire site," Arsenal said in a statement.
"We are working through our CCTV and attendance records on-site in order to continue the track and trace process," it added.
The Hale End Academy will now be closed on Thursday, October 8 for deep cleaning.
"After Thursday, we will review our coaching plans at Hale End accordingly and will keep all staff, parents and young players fully informed. The health and safety of everyone on all our sites is our paramount concern. No members of our men's or women's first-team squads have been affected," the statement further read.
The Hale End Academy is the facility for the club's nine to 16-year-old and is separate from Arsenal's senior base at London Colney.
