COVID BREACH! - Costa Rica players with positive test results played against Jamaica

JAMAICA FOOTBALL Federation (JFF) Medical Committee Chairman, Dr. Guyan Arscott, two Costa Rican players who played against Jamaica their Concacaf World Cup qualifier last night, had tested positive for COVID-19 and should not have been allowed to play.

It was confirmed that six officials from the Costa Rican delegation tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Jamaica.

The six included three players, one of whom did not take the field for the World Cup qualifying football match.

Dr. Arscott told STAR Sports, in an exclusive interview last night, that players and officials tested positive COVID-19 on arrival in Jamaica on Tuesday.

"I can confirm that there were six Costa Ricans that tested (for COVID 19). Three were non players and three were players," said Dr. Arscott. "One player was isolated because his test was deemed to be relatively new and is controversial issues," he said.

The Reggae Boyz lost the game 1-0 to Costa Rican.

Dr. Arscott pointed out that after receiving their COVID-19 test results, the Costa Rican medical team were advised that the players should have been barred from playing in the match.

"We recommended that those two players should be isolated, or should not be allowed to play," he said.

"We had some discussions with the members of the Ministry of Health and we wondered if they had some new infections, having tested negative before they left Costa Rica. Be that as it may, with the positive test, we felt we were duty bound to recommend that they not play," Dr. Arscott said.

He also pointed out that these players also tested positive for COVID-19 in Costa Rica a few weeks ago, but they were cleared after they had completed their isolation period.

"They had tested positive a fortnight or so before. We were told that they did their quarantine and isolation and tested negative before leaving Costa Rica," Dr. Arscott declared.

"But on arrival in Jamaica they tested positive at our official lab," he noted.

Dalton Wint, General Secretary of the JFF, said the federation is aware of the issues and will be making a formal complaint to FIFA on the matter.

"I don't know what we can appeal, but I am sure I will be sending something to FIFA to inquire as to why this happened because this is an absolute breach of the rules," Wint said.