Arsenal forced to close academy as senior member of staff test positive for coronavirus after trip abroad
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ARSENAL were forced to close their academy on Wednesday after a senior member of staff tested positive for coronavirus.
The Hale End facility, renovated in 2017 and home to the youngsters aged nine to 16, was shut down in the afternoon when the result came back.
A deep clean will take place on the site on Thursday with Arsenal yet to decide when coaches and players will be able to return.
According to The Athletic, the club employee travelled abroad and headed back to Hale End before receiving their coronavirus test result.
Staff were reportedly emailed of developments on Wednesday evening with none permitted on site 'until further notice'.
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An Arsenal statement read: “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 5pm 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.
"We are working through our CCTV and attendance records on site in order to continue the track and trace process.
“Our Hale End Academy will now be closed on Thursday 8 October for deep cleaning.
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"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.”
It is the latest coronavirus issue surrounding Arsenal, whose boss Mikel Arteta was the first Premier League player or manager to catch the virus back in March leading to the season being suspended.
The club today demanded government answers after Kieran Tierney was told to self-isolate for 14 days following Scotland team-mate Stuart Armstrong's positive test.
The left-back, 23, and Celtic's Ryan Christie were ordered to quarantine because they spent time playing PlayStation games in the same room as Southampton star Armstrong on Monday.
But 'frustrated' Tierney - who has tested negative - insists he has not broken any coronavirus rules and Arsenal want answers over why he has been targeted.
The Gunners are now desperately trying get permission for Tierney - who now faces missing the crucial Premier League clash at Manchester City on October 17 - to travel back to London.