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The Pakistani men’s cricket team will not be able to leave their hotel to train until their time in managed isolation in Christchurch is over.
Chateau on the Park Hotel in Christchurch is one of the isolation facilities.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield says he is concerned about the risk of cross infection within the team and has decided not to grant a waiver.
There have been six acute cases of Covid 19 among the 53-member team, and four other historical cases have been identified during testing.
Dr. Bloomfield said he appreciates the challenges this decision will have for the touring team, but public health considerations should come first.
Microbiologist Dr. Siouxsie Wiles said it is the right decision to stop training the team while they remain isolated.
Dr. Wiles said that the more cases there are in a group, the greater the need to limit transmission.
She said that some members of the team may have tested negative, but may still be incubating the virus, so it is prudent to be more cautious.
Six members of the Pakistan cricket team’s touring team tested positive for Covid-19 for the first time in controlled isolation in Christchurch on November 26.
Before leaving Pakistan, all members of the touring team had tested negative on all four occasions they were tested.
The coaching equipment exemption was immediately suspended.
At the same time, some team members were known to have violated protocols on the first day of administered isolation, New Zealand Cricket said.
Dr. Bloomfield said at a news conference last month that CCTV footage showed that the players had not followed the rules they had adhered to.
“Instead of being in their own rooms, which is the requirement for the first three days until the first test returns, there was some mixing in the hallways, chatting, sharing food and not wearing masks, which was obvious from the pictures of CCTV “.
Dr Bloomfield said he didn’t know how many times this happened, but it only takes once for Covid to spread.
Players have since had to stay in their rooms, which was the requirement anyway, as the training exemption would only have applied if health officials were happy after the third day of testing, he said.
Pakistan was scheduled to play a four-day game starting December 10 against New Zealand ‘A’ following its release from isolation, but chose to play a series of matches within the team, New Zealand Cricket said yesterday.
Tourists will play three Twenty20 international matches and two tryouts starting on December 18, while an ‘A’ tour of Pakistan will also take place at the same time.
– RNZ / Reuters
