The South African national rugby team have been cleared to train after three of their 46-man squad tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday.
Their match against Georgia on Friday is still scheduled to go ahead despite yesterday’s setback.
The Springboks have reported that fly-half Herschel Jantjies, one of the three who tested positive yesterday, has “subsequently been cleared and can return to training.”
South Africa is currently suffering from a third wave of COVID-19, led by the Delta variant and the country has entered Level 4 restrictions for 14 days in an attempt to combat it.
To contain the massive surge in infections, South Africa will be moving to Alert Level 4 for a period of 14 days. Additional restrictions will be in place from tomorrow, 28th June 2021.#StaySafe #CoronaVirusSA #Ramaphosa #Level4 #14Days pic.twitter.com/2XPY21cBgq
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) June 27, 2021
Under the Level 4 lockdown, all gatherings indoors and outdoors are prohibited and a curfew from 9 pm to 4 am has been put in place.
The lockdown will be in place until July 11 in the country.
However, the South African government announced this morning that all professional sports will go ahead but attendance for the Lions tests looks unlikely.
In a statement by SA Rugby, the quick return to training after the positive tests yesterday is down to “the strict precautionary measures taken by the team and the effective isolation protocols since the squad assembled.”
The Boks will announce their team to play Georgia on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the British and Irish Lions have landed in Johannesburg, South Africa ahead of the tour after all players called up were finally together following the end of domestic seasons across Europe.
The side beat Japan 28-10 at Murrayfield on Saturday in the first of their warm-up tests.
The province of Gauteng has been the region in South Africa hit hardest by the latest surge in cases.
Gauteng encompasses Johannesburg and Pretoria, meaning that the Lions flew into the epicentre of the outbreak.
Warren Gatland’s side will play five of their eight games on the tour in the region, including this Saturday’s fixture with South African club and soon-to-be United Rugby Championship members The Lions.
The three-match series between the reigning world champions and the British and Irish Lions starts on July 24.
