CPL players will have no contact with public

MINISTER of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said on Saturday that the 230-plus cricketers coming to TT for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will not be allowed to come into contact with members of the public.

He was responding to questions from the media at the Health Ministry’s virtual press conference on Saturday morning.

Last Thursday, Cabinet gave the green light for the CPL to host the tournament exclusively in TT from August 18 to September 12.

A total of 34 matches will be played at the Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba and the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair. Players and staff will stay at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann’s.

Deyalsingh said, “It must be reiterated, for the comfort of the population, the CPL contingent will not be allowed to mix with the general public. They will be isolated in quarantine in one location, that is, the Hilton.

"So there is no chance of contact with the other 1.4 million persons in TT. We are using similar protocols as what is happening to the West Indies team in England.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram added, “We have a document which speaks to quarantine and the quarantine measures are very rigid, from the Ministry of Health’s perspective, on the way that it is done.

"Quarantine will even take place before coming to TT with testing, etcetera.”

He said the measures will be very similar to the public health measures already being implemented in TT.