South Africa cricket board revises bio-bubble norms for India tour

Indian cricket team players. Pic/AP, PTI

The Cricket South Africa (CSA) has revised the bio-bubble norms for the India tour starting from December 26. With the entire touring party and the host contingent being fully vaccinated, positive Covid-19 cases, if any arise, will be allowed to complete their isolation inside the bubble itself, said the CSA.

"Immediate contacts of anyone testing positive for Covid-19 in the bubble during the South Africa-India series will not need to isolate and leave the bubble, rather will be allowed to quarantine in the hotel room as long as they are clinically stable," the cricket board added.

"These are part of the 'strict' norms for the Bio-secure Environment (BSI) put in place by Cricket South Africa in coordination with BCCI as the Indian contingent is set to arrive in Johannesburg later this week," the cricket board said.

"Considering that all those within the ecosystem will be vaccinated, the positive case will isolate within the hotel room if clinically stable," CSA's chief medical officer Shuaib Manjra told ESPNcricinfo.

"Contacts will continue playing and training with non-medical interventions strictly observed, and tested daily," he added.

CSA had originally put together more relaxed bio-bubble plans after the third wave of the pandemic receded in South Africa in October. These have now been modified following the emergence and quick global surge of Omicron, the latest covid-19 variant.

"Whilst at the end of the third wave we considered moving from a strict BSE to a managed environment, the Omicron variant and high levels of community transmission have forced a strict BSE," Manjra stated.

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