There have been no new cases among Premier League players and staff in the latest round of coronavirus testing, it has been confirmed.
Over 2,700 tests had been conducted in the first three rounds, yielding just 12 positive results, but the latest batch, conducted on Thursday and Friday, were all negative.
This is the most comprehensive round of testing so far, with the number of tests available to clubs increasing from 50 to 60.
Premier League clubs are set to resume contact training on Monday, having voted unanimously to do so on May 27. On Saturday Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, confirmed that sports could resume behind closed doors from June 1.
The Premier League is provisionally set to restart with two previously-postponed fixtures on Wednesday, June 17, and the competition’s CEO Richard Masters welcomed Dowden’s announcement.
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A statement read: “The Premier League welcomes the Government’s announcement today.
“We have provisionally planned to restart the Premier League on 17 June, but there is still much work to be done to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
“This includes consulting with our clubs, players and managers – along with all our other stakeholders – as the health and welfare of our participants and supporters is our priority.
“If all goes well, we will be thrilled to resume the 2019-20 season in just over two weeks’ time.”
However, there was less positive news away from the top flight, with the EFL confirming a total of 17 positive cases from their latest round of testing. There are 10 cases from eight different Championship clubs and seven from three clubs in League Two.
The Premier League was postponed after Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19 as his side prepared to face Brighton and Hove Albion on March 14.
The UK went into lockdown on March 23 but Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced some economic and social easements on Thursday.