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A Covid-19 rapid test program for GAA players has been agreed upon between counties for the upcoming season.
Inter-county players have been told that for all championship or playoff free-for-all matches, where a county is unable to meet a match due to Covid-19 issues, the game will be awarded to the opposing team.
However, the significant development on Friday night is the rapid test structure that will allow tests to be run and results returned within 48 hours, which is crucial to allow an optimized flow for a particularly compacted championship.
The system has been searched by GAA and GPA for the last few weeks.
Details of specific case management for players have not been completed as the association is awaiting feedback from NPHET and the government.
In a note to players tonight, GPA CEO Paul Flynn said: “This process will involve immediate on-site testing to be performed after the identification of any positive tests within a county team.
“All members of the squad and the backroom team will be screened for Covid-19 and the results will be returned within 48 hours.”
The testing process will be overseen by an independent on-site medical provider, and the results will be analyzed and distributed to county team doctors and local GPs.
With the rapidly evolving situation around Covid-19 and ahead of the scheduled resumption of inter-county competitions, Flynn wrote to GPA members to address four key areas directly related to the return of the games.
These included the testing process, competition guidelines, team status and expenses, and anti-doping education.
With regards to competition guidelines, GAA has already outlined the changes in competition regulations due to Covid 19; For all championship free-for-all or playoff matches, in which a county is unable to meet a championship match due to Covid-19 related issues, the game will be awarded to the opposing team (walkover), but not impose any additional penalties.
Exceptions to this are when: there are 13 clear days between the original match and the next scheduled round of the competition, the Irish semi-finals and finals, and any game where the direct relegation to a lower level is a consequence of an easy win .
Given the time constraints involved, the CCCC will not be able to facilitate postponements of games in the Allianz Leagues for Covid-19 purposes. When counties are unable or unwilling to meet a match, it will be awarded to the opposing team (walkover).
Regarding squad charter flights, Flynn said negotiations between the GPA and the GAA have been ongoing for some time, with an agreed-upon mileage rate of € 0.50 per mile.
“We can report that we have reached an agreement on this matter,” he wrote. “It is important to note that once the pandemic has passed, we will renegotiate a longer-term letter and the basis for this negotiation will be the 2016-2019 agreement.
“With regard to the Provisional Charter agreement, the highlight is that the nutritional allowance remains at € 20 per week (conversion rate equivalent to pounds sterling).
“Mileage rate reduced to 0.50 euro cents (from € 0.65) per mile.
“The spending process will be migrated to an online system: all players will use this system from November 2 and expenses will be claimed monthly,” he said.
Flynn added that all claims must be submitted by players through the online system or otherwise to the county liaison / treasurer for approval.
“While I understand that reducing mileage can pose a challenge for players, sports bodies and athletes around the world have had to commit to temporary measures to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the sport,” he added.
“What is also very important to note is that you are now being asked to compete during a global pandemic, in part as a means of boosting the nation’s morale. To meet this need, you should not do so at personal cost.”
Regarding anti-doping education, Flynn reminded members that all members of the 2020 Championship squads must have completed anti-doping education prior to participating in their first championship game to be eligible for funding.
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