Joint Response Group statement: 17/12/21

In light of the First Minister’s update today during which she expressed “profound concern” regarding the acceleration of the Omicron variant throughout society, the Joint Response Group has implemented enhanced protocols to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus within Scottish football.

From Monday, testing provision will be increased among cinch Premiership clubs until the scheduled winter break commencing January 3 and will be reviewed prior to the resumption of the fixture calendar in the New Year.

Clubs in the cinch Premiership will now be required to undertake daily testing for all playing and team staff as part of the enhanced protocols.

Further consultation has been scheduled early next week with the Scottish Women’s Premier League, cinch Championship, League 1 and 2, and Scottish Highland and Lowland Football Leagues. The outcome of those discussions will be communicated thereafter.

In addition, all clubs are advised to demonstrate enhanced vigilance with public health guidance, including physical distancing, wearing of face coverings while indoors, and to reiterate the importance of hand sanitising regularly. 

The JRG has also been in touch with Scottish Government to offer football stadia for use as vaccine centres to help the collective effort to roll-out the vaccine booster programme.

We are grateful to the clubs for their collective endorsement of these enhanced measures and for the ongoing commitment to achieving full vaccination and booster vaccinations for their playing staff and team staff.

Rod Petrie, Joint Response Group Chair: “We need no reminding that we are entering another challenging period in the country’s ongoing battle to suppress and overcome COVID-19 and, in particular, its emerging Omicron variant. 

“Scottish football is not immune to the impact of the pandemic and we must be extra vigilant during this especially busy period prior to the winter break. We remain in regular dialogue with Scottish Government and their public health and public policy officials and in order to reinforce protection, we have today increased our protocols proportionately with the challenges presented to us.

“We are thankful to our clubs for their commitment to implement them provisionally until the winter break and are happy to support the effort to overcome the virus through the vaccination and booster programmes and stringent adherence to protocols and public health guidance.”

Neil Doncaster, SPFL Chief Executive: “The First Minister has today again outlined the reality of the Omicron variant in Scotland and I am pleased with the rapid response of our cinch Premiership clubs in committing to enhanced protocols.

“We will continue to encourage compliance with the Scottish Government public health guidance and play our part in suppressing and eradicating the latest variant of this ongoing pandemic.”