The latest round of COVID-19 tests in different countries' sport leagues has resulted in players and members of staff from the French Ligue 1, English Premier League (EPL) and Serbian football club Red Star Belgrade testing positive for the coronavirus. 

Seven players and one staff member test positive for COVID-19 in latest Ligue 1 tests

Three players from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and four from fellow French football team Toulouse have tested positive for COVID-19, their clubs said June 23.

PSG said the three players and a member of staff were infected by the coronavirus during the lockdown when they were not in contact with each other. They "are no longer contagious and can carry on their training program," the club said.

Toulouse, which has been relegated to the second division for next season, said its players were tested Monday ahead of the resumption of training.

Toulouse said it has taken "the strictest measures to ensure that the professional group can prepare in complete safety, with the health of the players, coaching staff and personnel remaining the club's priority."

PSG and Toulouse did not reveal the players' identities. According to Toulouse team doctor Patrick Flamant, the four Toulouse players who have been infected have been placed in isolation. The rest of the staff and players will undergo further testing after six days.

"Social distancing and preventive measures will be applied, including the introduction of sign-posted routes," Toulouse said. "Contact between players remains prohibited, both on and off the field."

One positive for COVID-19 in latest Premier League tests

The Premier League said on June 22 that there was one more positive result from the latest round of COVID-19 tests of players and staff conducted last week, taking the total number of cases to 18 since testing began in May.

The English top flight restarted its season last week after a 100-day hiatus due to the pandemic.

The EPL said a total of 1,829 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19 between June 17 and June 21, "Of these, one person has tested positive."

The league did not reveal the club or the name of the individual who tested positive.

Since players returned to contact training last month, tests have been carried out twice a week since May 17 and the league has conducted 10 rounds of testing so far.

Five Red Star Belgrade players test positive for COVID-19 after matches with crowds

Five players from Serbian club Red Star Belgrade have tested positive for COVID-19 after playing several matches attended by thousands of people, the club said on June 22.

The announcement came 12 days after Red Star faced city rivals Partizan Belgrade in front of a crowd of around 16,000 people, the largest gathering of that kind in Europe since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Serbian government has been loosening lockdown rules and earlier this month it announced that open-air gatherings with an unlimited amount of people would be allowed.

But coverage from television channel RTS appeared to show little sign of health guidelines in place at the match with Partizan as well as at other league games.

Following the final match of the season against Proleter Novi Sad on June 20, Red Star Belgrade celebrated winning the Serbian title with more than 10,000 of their fans.

At least four of the five players did not play in that last match as they had felt coronavirus symptoms ahead of it, the club said.

"The players feel well and are in strict isolation and in permanent contact with the medical team of the club," Red Star Belgrade said in a statement.

The Serbian league resumed on May 29, initially behind closed doors, before the government further eased restrictions.

(With input from agencies)