HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – Bermuda’s football bosses remained tight-lipped yesterday after at least one failed coronavirus test following the national team’s return from a Florida training camp, left their World Cup qualifying campaign in disarray.
The Health Ministry announced that four residents who flew in on last Monday night’s American Airlines flight from Miami had tested positive for COVID-19.
The Royal Gazette newspaper said it understood at least one of the four was a member of the 28-strong squad that saw Bermuda beat the Bahamas 3-0 and draw the other friendly against them 0-0 during their weeklong stay in Bradenton, Florida.
National coach Kyle Lightbourne declined to comment when contacted on Friday, referring the matter to the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) whose president, Mark Wade, did not immediately reply to media inquiries.
Efforts to reach Health Minister Kim Wilson were also unsuccessful, but a ministry spokeswoman later said “it is policy not to comment on individual cases” for reasons of confidentiality.
Bermuda are due to face Canada in Orlando on March 25 and Aruba at home five days later in World Cup qualifiers.
The Gazette said the mandatory 14-day period of quarantine for each of the 28-strong travelling party means it is highly unlikely that Lightbourne and his charges will be cleared to board a flight in advance of the Canada game, which was switched to Florida because of travel restrictions in Canada.
The Bermuda team that took on the Bahamas featured several fringe players who were hoping to impress management.
Among the frontline players left behind were forward Reggie Lambe and goalkeeper Dale Eve, who have only just completed their quarantine periods on returning from England on February 25 after their respective leagues were ended early because of the pandemic.
Bermuda’s highest-paid player, Bristol City striker Nahki Wells, is not expected to make himself available for the World Cup qualifiers, in which Bermuda will also face Suriname and the Cayman Islands, although the 30-year-old has not officially said so.
Football in Bermuda was suspended three months ago because of the pandemic and no date has been given for its resumption.
Sports Minister Ernest Peets recently announced that certain protocols would have to be met before contact sport can resume.
