Covid-19 outbreak in Dalian causes concern as Chinese Super League finally prepares to start
- Dalian is one of two playing zones for the top-tier competition kicking off on Saturday
- Officials say they have taken the strictest measures against the pandemic to guarantee safety
The Chinese Super League will kick off on Saturday under heightened concern after 15 coronavirus cases were recorded in the past two days in Dalian, one of the two playing zones for the delayed competition.
Defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande are scheduled to take on Shanghai Shenhua in group A at Dalian Sports Centre Stadium on Saturday evening in the curtain-raiser.
In group B, Wuhan Zall will meet Qingdao Huanghai at Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Suzhou on the same day.
There had been no new cases for many days in the northern China city located in Liaoning province, but then one new case emerged on Wednesday, followed by another 14 on Thursday. Of those 14 cases, 12 were asymptomatic.
A spokesman for the Dalian municipal government said they had followed the strict rules for the safety of players and officials. All matches will be played behind closed doors without any spectators.