Six St Mirren coaches get coronavirus all-clear after retests

Six members of St Mirren’s coaching staff have been given the all-clear from coronavirus.

The club sent seven members of staff for NHS checks after they tested positive for Covid-19 at a private facility.

Six of them have now been told they don’t have the virus.

The remaining staff member was confirmed as testing positive and remains in isolation, the club said.

St Mirren chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick said: “I’m very pleased to report that six of the subsequent coaching staff tests have now come back negative this morning (Friday).

“The remaining member of the coaching staff has confirmed as a positive test result and continues to be in strict isolation and has not come into contact with any member of the playing or coaching staff since Saturday, July 18.”

Fitzpatrick also said the club will be undertaking an urgent review of the private testing arrangement that returned the initial ‘false positive’ results.

St Mirren’s planned friendly match at home to St Johnstone on Saturday has been cancelled.

Scottish clubs have been ordered to revert back to twice-weekly testing as a result of the developments at St Mirren.

Scottish football chiefs have written to Rangers, Motherwell and Hibs with questions about coronavirus testing.

They want an explanation about the Ibrox club’s testing schedule and whether players who took part in a game against Dundee United on Wednesday had received results in time.

The Joint Response Group (JRG) – comprised of officials from the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Professional Football League – has also written to Hibs and Motherwell seeking an explanation over delayed test results.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The football ‘Joint Response Group’ has established a set of protocols that clubs must follow before games can be played.

“Where there have been positive tests, or a delay in receiving test results, clubs have followed the appropriate course of action in cancelling or delaying matches. We understand those judgements will continue to be made on a game by game basis.

“The Scottish Government continues to provide support and guidance to football governing bodies as necessary.”

Premiership action is due to return in just eight days’ time.