Cricket South Africa amends bio-bubble rules for India tour

India is all set to tour South Africa from December 26 and BCCI has already named their 18-man squad for the same. The tour was under clouds of danger as the new variant of COVID-19 Omicron recently emerged in South Africa which forced BCCI to reschedule their tour. However, the Indian cricket board decided to take up the tour and even continued their unofficial Tests against South Africa’s A-side.

In the latest turn of events, CSA has changed their norms a bit for the bio bubble and now the immediate contacts of people testing positive for COVID-19 will not need to isolate. The close contacts will be allowed to train and those testing positive will be put to quarantine in the same hotel until they are clinically stable.

The CSA stated that the norms have been put in place by keeping BCCI in the loop and with this, it would be easier to deal with any positive case in the teams after the visiting nation reaches South Africa later this week.

“Considering that all those within the ecosystem will be vaccinated, the positive case will isolate within the hotel room if clinically stable. Contacts will continue playing and training with non-medical interventions strictly observed, and tested daily,” said CSA’s chief medical officer Shuaib Manjra told ESPNcricinfo.

India to play against SA for three Tests and as many ODIs

Initially, CSA had come up with little relaxed COVID-19 norms after the third wave receded in October but they got modified when the new variant came into the picture. Earlier, the CSA has also ensured BCCI of creating a safe bio bubble for Indian members coming to play with their nation.

“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,” he added.

As of now, India is all set to tour SA for three Tests and as many ODIs where the Test series will commence on December 26. The T20Is have been called off till further notice.