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MLS is Back Tournament records zero new coronavirus cases in latest round of tests

Major League Soccer's MLS is Back Tournament has seen two teams drop out and some concern about its viability, but it recorded zero new coronavirus cases Sunday and Monday.

The news of no new COVID-19 cases the past two days comes as the tournament enters its second week Wednesday. It is scheduled to finish with the final on Aug. 11.

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The statement from the league stated: "1,227 individuals were tested for COVID-19 during the period from July 12-13" and indicated that the league carried out a total of 1,519 tests. "No individuals from this group were newly confirmed positive for COVID-19 during this period."

There was, however, one new positive case on one of the clubs that is no longer in the tournament. The statement didn't indicate whether the positive test was with FC Dallas or Nashville SC.

The tournament is being held inside a controlled bubble at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. It suffered a blow before it even started, with the news of multiple positive tests at FC Dallas and Nashville SC, which led to both clubs being forced to withdraw.

MLS also announced a positive test on Sporting Kansas City on Friday, and the Toronto FC-D.C. United match was postponed at late notice Sunday morning after one DCU player had a positive test and a TFC player had an inconclusive result. The game was played Monday morning, without the two players in question, after each squad was retested and came back negative.

The league has maintained that it is confident that the positive tests didn't come from contagion within the bubble.

Outside the MLS bubble, cases continue to increase in Florida, with more than a combined 27,000 new cases reported for Sunday and Monday.

MLS is the first major men's sports league in the United States to return to action since the postponement or cancellation of sports because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The NBA is scheduled to begin play July 30 on the same Disney-owned campus in Florida.