The Coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 as one member of the BCCI’s medical team in UAE has tested positive for the virus, sources within the board have confirmed to ANI.
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This development comes after 13 individuals contracted COVID-19 upon arriving in UAE for the cash-rich tournament.
"It is true, but there is no issue as he (senior medical officer) is asymptomatic and has been kept in isolation. He has not been in contact with anyone and possibly contracted it during his travel to the UAE. He is being monitored and should hopefully be fine in the next round of testing. We also have two people at the NCA who have tested positive and have been kept in isolation," the sources quoted as saying by ANI.
On August 29, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a statement, confirming that 13 personnel, including two cricketers, had tested positive for COVID-19.
However, the board did not specify as to which team has how many confirmed cases.
"13 personnel have tested positive of which 2 are players. All the affected personnel as well as their close contacts are asymptomatic and have been isolated from other team members. They are being monitored by the IPL Medical Team," the BCCI had said in an official release.
Speaking to ANI, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan on Tuesday (September 1) said that there has been no fresh case and the contingent is negative except for the ones who had tested positive earlier.
As per the tournament SOP laid out by BCCI, all the infected individuals are mandated to undergo an additional 14-day quarantine. They can enter the bio-secure bubble only after returning negative in tests to be conducted after the extended isolation.
Viswanathan had also reiterated the same, saying: "Those who tested positive earlier will be tested again only after 14 days."
The 2020 season of Indian Premier League will be held in the Middle East from September 19 to November 10. The sixty-game event, for which a detailed itinerary is yet awaited, will be played across venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
(With ANI inputs)
