162-member travelling party for CPL 2020 tests COVID-19 negative

The tournament gets underway on August 18 in Trinidad & Tobago.

The six-team competition has overcome a massive hurdle amid COVID-19 pandemic | Getty

All 162 members of the travelling party for CPL 2020 in Trinidad and Tobago, comprising players, support staff, match officials and administrators, have tested COVID-19 negative on their arrival for the tournament, the Caribbean Premier League authorities have confirmed. 

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A media release from CPL stated that "they will now be kept in quarantine in the official hotel for 14 days during which time they will be tested regularly."

"If any member of the party is found to have contracted the virus they will be removed from the hotel and placed in further isolation in accordance with the current protocols in Trinidad & Tobago, but as of now all those who have arrived in Trinidad & Tobago are free from COVID-19."

It was learnt through another media statement, however, that "there were three players and one coach who have not been able to travel as a result of the stringent protocols to ensure the safety of the CPL cohort and the population of Trinidad & Tobago."

"Every person was tested 72 hours before they travelled in order to ensure that all members of the party were travelling virus free."

"One player based in Jamaica tested positive for COVID-19 and he had been training with two others so all three were withdrawn. One coach based in Australia also tested positive before he departed so he was not able to travel either."

The CPL 2020 kickstarts on August 18 and runs until September 10. The six-team tournament to held at two venues in Trinidad will feature 33 matches, including the opener between last year's runners-up, Guyana Amazon Warriors, and Trinbago Knight Riders. 

"It has been a colossal effort by all involved to get everyone safely into Trinidad & Tobago and we would like to thank everyone for their hard work and diligence," said Michael Hall, Tournament Operations Director.

"Our main priority is the health and wellbeing 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."

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 07 Aug, 2020

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