I-League CEO says upkeep of bio-secure bubble important throughout new season

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is maintaining no stone unturned to make sure clean and secure conduct of the I-League beginning right here on Saturday, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic although the caseload within the nation has gone down significantly up to now few days.
The AIFF has gained expertise relating to the upkeep of bio-secure bubble through the I-League Qualifiers in October final although it was on a a lot smaller scale with simply 5 groups competing.
The 11-team I-League can be performed behind closed doorways in 4 venues in Kolkata and Kalyani. Debutants Sudeva FC will tackle newly-promoted Mohammedan Sporting on the Salt Lake Stadium right here whereas Punjab FC face Aizawl FC and Gokulam Kerala FC go up towards Chennai City FC at Kalyani Municipal Stadium in different two matches of the day.
“With the number of teams going up from five (during the Qualifiers) to 11 and the number of days from 25 to 100, the maintenance of the bio-bubble and co-ordination between the teams and organizers will be critical,” League CEO Sunando Dhar mentioned.
“Cooperation from the participating sides is vital to maintain the bio-bubble and in order to ensure a successful event, all parties have to come together in a team effort and move forward together,” he added.
The 11 groups have been put up in two 5-star resorts in Kolkata. Punjab FC, Indian Arrows, Chennai City FC, TRAU FC and Churchill Brothers FC are in a single lodge, whereas Real Kashmir FC, Mohammedan SC, Gokulam Kerala FC, Aizawl FC, Sudeva Delhi FC and Neroca FC are housed within the second.
The groups started checking-in to their respective resorts and getting into the bio-secure bubble from December 26 onwards, after which they instantly started their interval of seven days of obligatory quarantine.
Prior to their check-in, every member of all of the groups has to have three successive damaging COVID-19 RT-PCR exams, the samples of which must be taken ten, six and two days previous to them getting into the bubble.
After checking in, the groups can be examined on the second and fifth day, adopted by exams each 5-6 days and common monitoring of physique vitals.
Each staff has been allotted 20 rooms within the lodge, with the addition of a separate medical/physio room for each facet. For their quarantine, a complete listing of dos-and-don’ts has been given to every staff as nicely.
The housekeeping workers attending to the rooms may also be part of the identical bio-bubble and can be examined regularly each 3-4 days. Other help workers akin to drivers, safety personnel and lodge workers may also be examined repeatedly.
“Safety of all players and officials is our top-most priority and there can never be any compromises in that regard,” Dhar mentioned.
In case of a optimistic check consequence for any staff member, she or he should bear a 17-day interval of quarantine — both in the identical lodge on a special ground, or in an outdoor facility.
In order to re-join the bubble, the particular person has to have two successive damaging RT-PCR exams. However, if the person was in isolation exterior the lodge, he/she must bear a obligatory 5-day quarantine within the lodge upon check-in for him/her to rejoin his staff.