The Ashes are continuing to look on shaky ground, but Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be able to proceed.
England were delayed leaving their hotel yesterday morning ahead of Day 2 after confirmed positive COVID cases in their wider touring party.
It was later revealed two members of the team's staff, as well as two family members had tested positive for the illness which has the Ashes on brittle ground with a monster outbreak ripping up and down the east coast of Australia.
All players in the English squad tested negative after undertaking rapid tests yesterday before leaving their hotel, and overnight, all players in both camps tested negative to PCR tests.
It doesn't mean the Ashes is out of the woods though, with English media reporting the outbreak in the touring camp has now sprung up to six with another member of staff, and another family member both testing positive.
Covid Ashes: England's afflicted has in fact risen by two ... now sits at 3 x support staff and 3 x family members ... but game/tour on for now with all others returning negative PCR test results
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) December 27, 2021
Under Victorian rules, players were not deemed close contacts and only needed to pass negative tests before being released from a temporary isolation.
Cricket Australia have moved the remainder of the series to Level 4 restrictions as they try to prevent players from contracting the coronavirus.
The governing body confirmed all players had tested negative in a statement.
“Players from the Australian and England teams all had PCR Covid-19 Tests after play yesterday and all results have come back negative,” the Cricket Australia statement read.
“The families of both sets of players also had PCR tests yesterday and all returned a negative test.
“The England team’s support staff and their family members who tested positive after PCR tests yesterday are in isolation."
It's understood talks are ongoing between Australian and English counterparts in an attempt to find workable restrictions for the fourth and fifth Test.
England will resume their second innings at 10:30am (AEDT) on Day 3 with the score reading 4 for 31, the tourists still needing a further 51 runs to make Australia bat again.
