Key Health and Safety Protocols for HBL PSL 2022

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 27 January to 27 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.

Salient features of the Health and Safety Protocols are:

Testing

·       The three-day room isolation commenced on 20 January. 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 27 January to 7 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

Hotel

·       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. Additional towels, bed linen, water, food, etc. will be placed outside individual rooms by hotel staff wearing a surgical mask who shall ring the doorbell after placing such items and leave. Members should open the door and collect the items a minute after the hotel staff has left

·       After the quarantine period, rooms may be serviced by dedicated housekeeping staff while ensuring that the guest is not inside their room

·       Each side has been allocated dedicated common rooms and players/player support personnel are not allowed to use other team’s common room

·       Delivery of food from outside through an approved delivery service is allowed. The delivery, however, will be received by the designated staff members, who will sanitise the packages and place at a designated spot on the team floor. Members, after consuming the food, will be required to wash their hands for 20 seconds

Venue

·       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

·       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

·       For the warm-ups, players are not required to wear facemasks but must avoid touching their face, nose, mouth and eyes.

·       At the toss, there will be social distancing and no handshakes

·       Post-match, both playing teams and officials will avoid handshakes, while the presentation ceremony will take place in a zero-contact manner

Management of suspected cases

·       Suspect/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

·       All individuals who have been in close contact (same team, individuals on the same floor or any interaction of longer than 15 minutes from less than two meters) with the case during the previous 48 hours starting from the time of  collection of the sample which resulted in a positive test, will be isolated and tested

·       All casual contacts in the last 48 hours starting from the time of collection of the sample, which resulted in a positive test, will also be isolated and tested immediately

·       All staff handling positive cases will wear a full PPE kit while handling a suspected/positive COVID-19 case

·       The Team Physio will regularly monitor the case and share information with, if required

·       If symptoms worsen during the course of isolation, the individual will be hospitalized

List of breaches and sanctions

·       The following will be constituted as minor breaches:

o   Not maintaining social distancing of, at least, six-feet with people outside the designated zone(s)

o   Sharing drinks, water bottles, equipment, clothing, towels, and kits with others

o   Handshakes with other participants before and after the match

o   Not removing dirty laundry from the ground / dressing room after the end of the match

o   Going into an occupied isolation room without approval from the Match Manager

o   Physiotherapists / Masseurs not wearing masks covering their nose and mouths during treatments

o   Engaging in individual physiotherapy sessions more than 15 minutes in duration

o   Being present in a restricted area without authorisation

o   Meeting anyone from outside the designated bubble other than those on Field of Play

o   Breaching any of the Protocols as outlined in the HBL PSL Health and Safety Protocols

·       The following will be constituted as major breaches:

o   Visiting or allowing anyone inside hotel room other than maintenance staff

o   Not wearing a face mask covering the nose and mouth when required to do so

o   Exiting room during quarantine except for when permitted to do so by the relevant BBIM

o   Procuring any item from outside the relevant bubble without informing the relevant BBIM

o   Not providing symptom update when asked to do so by the relevant BBIM

o   Not informing the relevant BBIM about developing symptoms

o   Taking any measure / medication that could mask symptoms or alter test results

o   Meeting any person who is currently symptomatic or has tested positive

o   Sharing any information related to Covid cases and/or symptomatic individuals with any unauthorised personnel outside the relevant Managed Event Environment

·       The following range of sanctions will be available to the Tournament Covid Management Committee

o   Warning / reprimand

o   Imposition of match fee deduction from 5 per cent – 25 per cent

o   Imposition of match fee deduction from 25 per cent – 50 per cent and/or 1-5 match ban

o   Expulsion from the League (including revocation of Accreditation)

o   Financial Penalty / Fine ranging from PKR50K-PKR500K (depending on the severity of the breach), which may be deducted from the offender’s contract/agreement with the PCB or PSL.

·       Where there exists a reasonable suspicion that the bio-secure environment has been compromised, the Pakistan Cricket Board may, in its discretion, require any participant to quarantine/isolate in their hotel room for any number of days and undergo repeated PCR testing as advised. The same shall take into consideration any relevant medical advice and local government requirements.