The England cricket team was hit by a COVID-19 scare on Friday after two of its staff members tested positive for coronavirus, reported AFP.

Epidemiologist Venura Singarachchi told AFP the two kitchen staff members at the Light House Hotel in Galle, Sri Lanka were tested after they showed symptoms and have been hospitalised.

“We are now trying to trace their contacts,” he added.

England is currently playing two Tests against Sri Lanka in Galle. Despite creating a strict bio-secure bubble in the South Asian country, English all-rounder Moeen Ali has already been infected by the deadly virus.

However, the England cricket board said they were not worried about the infections.

“Our protocols have been excellent and we continue to be vigilant,” spokesman Danny Reuben told AFP.

He added that cricketers have been following social distancing, wearing masks even in indoor settings at the hotel.

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Reuben said Moeen was still isolating at a different hotel in Galle and would return to the team as soon as it was safe.

The England team arrived in Sri Lanka on January 3 and spent a week in isolation in Hambantota before travelling to Galle.

They were allowed into the country despite a ban on flights from Britain in the wake of new coronavirus strain that emerged in the UK.

Sri Lanka has seen a surge in virus cases since October, with the total number of cases passing 50,000 on Wednesday and deaths rising to over 250 from just 13 in October.