ECB planning to install coronavirus checkpoints to resume cricketing activity

The England and Wales Cricket Board plans to install coronavirus checkpoints and isolation units at grounds without any spectator in its bid to resume international cricket.

The ECB suspended all domestic crickets until 28 May, delaying the new season launch, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which killed almost 22,000 people worldwide. Events director of the ECB Steve Elworthy said, however, that they are looking at ways to restart play behind closed doors, and that a sterile “bubble” will be required to ensure the detection of everyone in the area carrying the virus.

“We’re mapping out what international matches would look like behind closed doors,” Elworthy has told the Guardian. To suppress the virus, the UK government had prohibited mass assembly of more than 500 before present under lockdown.

In reference to the Government’s initial advice, Elworthy said: “The advice around mass gatherings was 500 people or fewer. That was guided by the potential impact on critical services like paramedics and doctors. You would likely have to work within that number (which would be made up of essential matchday staff)… then you have to think about medical provisions, creating a safe and sterile environment around that venue, so that everyone who comes in is clear.

“So it’s how you test them at the gate, the isolation units that you have to put in. These are considerations we are thinking about. One thing you have to consider is the national mood. You might be able to deliver a match but would it be the right thing? Operationally, we believe we can deliver anything but we have to have an eye on that. You don’t just operate in a bubble, you need peripheral vision. (And) making sure everyone is in a safe environment is front and centre of the discussions.”

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