Coronavirus testing centres to remain at Cardiff and Swansea football grounds
- Published
Cardiff City Stadium provided the first mass drive-through testing centre in Wales
Cardiff City and Swansea City will continue to let part of their grounds be used as Covid-19 testing centres when the Championship resumes.
Swansea travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 20 June and Cardiff host leaders Leeds United on Sunday.
The Swans' first home match since the break is against Luton Town on 27 June.
Matches will be played behind closed doors, although match officials, medical staff and broadcasters will be allowed into the ground.
The first mass drive-through testing centre in Wales was established at Cardiff City Stadium on 7 April.
The UK government has agreed a sub-lease with the club, which allows the Welsh government and its stakeholders to use the testing centre until the end of September.
Cardiff say they have "a comprehensive operational plan that factors in the demands of the testing centre" to ensure its work will continue on matchdays.
A six-lane testing centre has been operating at Swansea's Liberty Stadium home since May.
Swansea said the club had a "good working relationship with the NHS" and fixtures would "not affect the testing centre or safety", as the drive-through tests are carried out in a separate car park with its own entrance that is not required on match days.
Both football clubs also said it would be possible to host international rugby matches at their grounds this autumn, should a field hospital still be operating at the Principality Stadium when test fixtures are due to be played.
The Dragons rugby union region have also confirmed that rugby matches could also be hosted at Rodney Parade without affecting the testing centre operating on part of their site in Newport.