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Covid-19 cases rise in Olunga's Kashiwa Reysol

Kashiwa Reysol coach Nelsinho Baptista has tested positive for coronavirus.

Photo credit: Pool

What you need to know:

  • The team said all players would go into a 10-day quarantine.
  • Kashiwa reported its first positive test – a player - on November 1 and announced the positive case for Nelsinho and one staff member two days later.

Cases of coronavirus infections in Michael Olunga’s Kashiwa Reysol have risen to 14, reports say.

According to Yahoo! Japan, two new players and eight staff members have returned positive tests from PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests done on November 3.  

Kashiwa had confirmed four cases of infections on Tuesday. Brazilian coach Nelsinho Baptista, 70, and three others had announced that they had tested positive for the coronavirus.

“But on this day (Wednesday), two new players and eight staff members were revealed to be positive,” said the website after disclosing that the J-League has now decided to cancel the Levain Cup final between Kashiwa Reysol and FC Tokyo slated for November 7.

“Judging that it is difficult to hold a match due to a large-scale infection, the match has been cancelled,” said the report, before adding that the schedule of alternative games will be considered in the future.

The team said all players would go into a 10-day quarantine.

Kashiwa reported its first positive test – a player - on November 1 and announced the positive case for Nelsinho and one staff member two days later.

This led to the cancellation of J1 League match pitting Vegalta Sendai and visiting Kashiwa Reysol on November 3.

The club travelled back to Kashiwa using a chartered bus. Yahoo! Japan says Kashiwa conducted PCR tests on 38 players, 17 team staff, 14 front staff, and 13 people involved, for a total of 82 people on November 3.

It says this was an inspection to ensure safety in preparation for the final match against FC Tokyo.