LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s Medical Advisory Panel has put together robust ‘Health and Safety Protocols’ for all participants of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2022, which will be played in Karachi and Lahore from 27th January to 27th February.
The Health and Safety Protocols document has been designed to ensure health and safety of all participants as well as to provide them safe and secure environment to prepare, play and perform in the PCB’s marquee event, a PCB spokesman, said on Sunday.
As per protocols, the participants will now be allowed to enter the managed event environment and integrate with their sides only following two negative tests. In the event period from 27th January to 7th February, all participants will undergo four PCR tests.
After being tested upon arrival in Lahore, all participants will undergo seven PCR tests from 10-27 February. There will be mandatory seven-day isolation for any participant who tests positive. On day seven, the participant will undergo a Rapid Antigen Test and will be allowed to re-integrate with the side if he tests negative. In the scenario of a positive result, the participant will isolate for another three days before re-integrating with the side without requesting an exit test. For a player or player support staff to enter or re-enter the managed event environment, three-day isolation is mandatory and will require two negative tests before re-integrating with the side.
Under the protocol, each side is allotted rooms on separate floors of the hotel and maximum possible efforts has been made to avoid cross-interaction between teams at the hotel.
During the mandatory quarantine period at the hotel, housekeeping staff will not be permitted to enter the guest rooms for servicing. Each side has been allocated dedicated common rooms and players/player support personnel are not allowed to use other team’s common room.
At venue of matches, dressing rooms will be sanitised by dedicated staff before the teams’ arrival; those with dressing room access will have to maintain social distancing. Players cannot use saliva and will also have to use their own equipment.
Under the protocols, all ground staff will undergo PCR test 48 hours or less before their first interaction with the players, player support staff, match officials and will always be required to wear a facemask, covering nose and mouth at all times when on field.
Post-match, both playing teams and officials will avoid handshakes, while the presentation ceremony will take place in a zero-contact manner.
Moreover, suspect or positive cases will be immediately isolated from rest of the squad by the Team Doctor/Team Manager. Individual isolated due to suspected symptoms will be immediately tested by PCR for Covid-19.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022