England players to undergo COVID tests for 2nd time before return to full-fledged training

As England gear up to host the first international game after a gap of three months, all efforts are being made by the ECB to ensure the spread and prevention of COVID-19. Ahead of the team's return to full-fledged training, the English players will reportedly be tested twice for Coronavirus as the squad remains isolated at a hotel attached to the Ageas Bowl stadium. The West Indies tour of England, starting from July 8, will mark the resumption of international cricket after a gap of over three months following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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England's players to be tested twice

According to a SkyNews report, the players and around 15 support staff will be tested before they isolate themselves in their hotel rooms for the first 24 hours while their results are received. As the full-scale team training commences on Thursday, the players will be asked to pass through a tent with thermal cameras every morning before entering the ground to check for coronavirus symptoms. Further, the players will be tested twice weekly while continuing with daily thermal screenings. 

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The three-match Test series against the West Indies will begin here from July 8 but before that, a trimmed 20-member home team will play an intra-squad warm-up game at the same venue. The Ageas Bowl has been divided into zones with only the players and key support staff permitted entry to certain areas. The players are staying at the Hilton Hotel, which is attached to the stadium.

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'Cricket ball a natural vector of the disease' 

UK PM Boris Johnson admitted that the country was not yet prepared for the restart of recreational cricket but said that West Indies' tour of England wasn't under threat. Responding to a question from Conservative MP Greg Clark in the House of Commons, Johnson said that it was too soon to lift current restrictions preventing the return of recreational cricket. County sides have lost more than half the season due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic with most sides terminating contracts with foreign players owing to the travel restrictions imposed in the wake of the pandemic.  

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(With PTI inputs)