Four Internacional players test positive for coronavirus

RIO DE JANEIRO - Four Internacional players have tested positive for the novel coronavirus as Brazilian clubs prepare to return to competition.

The names of the players were not disclosed but all are asymptomatic and have been isolated under medical supervision, the Porto Alegre club said in a statement on Tuesday.

"All of the [infected] players will undergo new tests before they can resume training," the statement read.

It added that the entire Internacional squad was tested as a precaution on Monday after another unidentified player was diagnosed with the virus on Saturday.

Brazil's Serie A championship is expected to start on August 8, three months later than originally planned.

All of the country's football competitions were halted in mid-March as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Rio de Janeiro's Carioca championship became the first state league to resume when Flamengo beat Bangu 3-0 at the Maracana stadium on June 18.

Brazil has over 1.4 million confirmed coronavirus cases, more than 59,600 of which have been fatal.