CPL 2020 travelling party tests negative for COVID-19

Barbados, Aug 7:  The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced that all 162 members of the touring party -- including players, officials and administrators -- who have arrived in Trinidad and Tobago, have tested negative for COVID-19.

They will now be kept in quarantine in the official hotel for 14 days during which time they will be tested regularly, said CPL in a statement on Thursday. If any member of the party is found to have contracted the coronavirus, they will be removed from the hotel and placed in further isolation.

Michael Hall, Tournament Operations Director, said: "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."

"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."

Meanwhile, the CPL also informed that there were three players and one coach who were not able to travel for Trinidad after testing positive for COVID-19. One player tested positive for the coronavirus and he had been training with two others so all three were withdrawn. One coach tested positive before he departed so he was not able to travel.

"These withdrawals are a sign of the testing protocols that CPL put in place working as they should, and while it is disappointing for the players and coaches involved, it is vital that CPL does nothing to compromise the safety of all those involved in the tournament and the public of Trinidad," said Hall.

The tournament gets underway on August 18 and will see 33 games played at two venues in Trinidad. The first match will see last year's runners-up, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, take on the Trinbago Knight Riders. The final will take place on September 10.