So far, so good for Caribbean Premier League COVID-19 tests
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — The Caribbean Premier League says its players, officials and administrators have arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and that 162 people who travelled into the country have tested negative for COVID-19.
The CPL said the teams will now be kept in quarantine in the official hotel for 14 days and undergo regular testing.
If anyone from in the group is found to have contracted the coronavirus they will be removed from the hotel and placed in further isolation.
“It has been a colossal effort by all involved to get everyone safely into Trinidad and Tobago,” tournament operations director Michael Hall said in a statement.
“Our main priority is the health and well-being of all those involved in CPL and the wider population in the host country, to have got through this first step without any cases is encouraging news, but we will remain vigilant.”
Players, coaches and support staff have travelled to the Caribbean from all parts of the cricket world.
The West Indies team lost a three-test series in England last month, the first international cricket to be played after the sport was shuttered globally.
The Caribbean players had to spend time in quarantine in Britain before the series started, and had to remain inside so-called bio-secure bubbles at match venues.
The Twenty20 tournament begins August 18, and 33 games will be played at two venues in Trinidad.
The first match has last year’s runners-up, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, playing the Trinbago Knight Riders.
The final will take place on September 10.
Barbados Tridents are the defending champions.
The other teams are St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St Lucia Zouks and Jamaica Tallawahs.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us @onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.