Soccer-PSG postpone Qatar winter tour amid rising COVID-19 cases

Paris Saint-Germain have postponed their Qatar winter tour as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the French club said on Wednesday. Daily coronavirus infection rates reported by Qatar have also soared https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kuwait-qatar-covid-19-daily-cases-soar-past-previous-highs-2022-01-09 past previous peaks recorded in the summer of 2020, as cases rise across all Gulf states.

Paris Saint-Germain have postponed their Qatar winter tour as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the French club said on Wednesday. France registered a record of nearly 370,000 infections on Tuesday, while the seven-day average of new infections set a new high of more than 283,000.

"In view of the health situation in France, Paris Saint-Germain has decided to postpone the Qatar Winter Tour 2022 to protect the health of its staff and players," the club said on its website https://en.psg.fr/teams/first-team/content/qatar-winter-tour-2022-postponed-club-qwt-2022. PSG were due to hold a three day mini-training camp in the Gulf state between Jan 16-18 followed by a match against a local team in Riyadh on Jan. 19.

The French club have reported a flurry of COVID-19 cases this month, with several players, including forward Lionel Messi, testing positive for the virus. Daily coronavirus infection rates reported by Qatar have also soared https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kuwait-qatar-covid-19-daily-cases-soar-past-previous-highs-2022-01-09 past previous peaks recorded in the summer of 2020, as cases rise across all Gulf states.