Eleven Liga Deportiva Alajuelense players have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Costa Rican soccer club announced.
“La Liga” confirmed the test results via a press release on Tuesday morning.
“Eleven players tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19,” the club said. “Immediately, we activated the existing sanitary protocol … and arranged for the infected group to isolate.”
According to the club, the players and staff who tested negative will continue training “maintaining strict measures.”
The news comes as Costa Rica faces high numbers of new coronavirus cases and deaths. Nine-hundred and eighty-seven people have died of COVID-19 or related complications in Costa Rica, including 551 deaths since September 1.
While Costa Rican health authorities are permitting an increasing amount of economic activity, the positive tests on Liga Deportiva Alajuelense will interrupt a lengthy winning streak for one of Costa Rica’s biggest soccer teams.
Last weekend, Liga Deportiva Alajuelense defeated Guadalupe 2-1, sealing its seventh consecutive victory during 2020 Costa Rican Apertura Championship.
The club is the current Group A leader in Costa Rica’s men’s domestic league.
The ongoing Apertura Championship has been impacted significantly by the coronavirus pandemic. Most recently, seven players on AD San Carlos tested positive, forcing the postponement of its contests.
The country successfully completed the Clausura tournament, which ended in June 2020, before Costa Rica experienced a significant increase in coronavirus spread.
