The Premier League have confirmed a record 40 positive COVID-19 tests in one week.
A total of 2,295 tests were carried out on players and club staff across the top flight from December 28 to January 3 and brought the highest figure for positive cases since Project Restart in June.
The amount for the previous week was 18, meaning the number of positive coronavirus tests have more than doubled as the entire United Kingdom enters lockdown following the emergence of a new strain of the virus.
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Recent games involving Fulham and Manchester City had to be postponed due to a surge in cases at the clubs.
Players are now being tested twice a week and the first batch of tests between 28 December and 31 December saw 28 positives from 1,311 players and staff, with a further 12 arriving from 984 between January 1 and January 3.
A Premier League statement read: "'With low numbers of positive tests across the overwhelming majority of clubs, the League continues to have confidence in its COVID-19 protocols, fully backed by the Government, to enable fixtures to be played as scheduled. Players or club staff who have tested positive will self-isolate for a period of 10 days."
Elite sport has been given the go-ahead to continue and Premier League chiefs have yet not discussed the possibility of a circuit-breaker being enforced.
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However, there have been calls for players to crack down on handshakes and hugs in order to avoid transmitting the virus.
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