Perth Glory avoid Christmas nightmare after COVID case as they secure flight home from Queensland

Perth Glory will be able to spend Christmas with their families after securing permission to leave Queensland and complete quarantine at home in Western Australia. 

The entire squad and staff were thrown into 14 days of hotel quarantine on December 16 when a player tested positive to COVID-19 after arriving in Queensland. 

Despite initial fears they’d be stuck in a hotel for Christmas, Glory will be allowed to leave the state via a chartered flight on Thursday and finish their final seven days of isolation at home in WA. 

« We have worked very closely with Queensland Health, WA Health and WA Police to secure this outcome and I would like to register the club’s sincere appreciation of their efforts, » Glory CEO Tony Pignata said.

« The health and well-being of our players and staff has been the top priority throughout and we are extremely pleased that they will now be able to complete their quarantine at home in Perth.

« I would also like to thank the players and staff for the resilience they have shown under extremely difficult circumstances and our Members and fans for the fantastic support they have provided throughout this period.”

Commissioner of the A-Leagues Greg O’Rourke added: « We are delighted with this outcome and, along with Perth Glory, want to thank the governments of Western Australia and Queensland, in particular: WA Health; WA Police; and QLD Health, for enabling the players to return home, without impact on the community.

« We also commend the resilience of our Perth Glory team members who have managed the uncertainty and anxiety of this situation well. It has been a very challenging time for everyone involved and this is the outcome we have all been working towards.

« We are delighted we have jointly found a way to reunite team members with their immediate families in time for Christmas. » 

After being plunged into quarantine, two Perth fixtures in the A-League Men were postponed with the side not expected to compete again until January. 

Glory’s marquee star Daniel Sturridge was less than happy after being forced to quarantine last week but has spent the past few days posting some interesting content to Instagram.