Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited, India’s fourth largest pathology player, has started conducting Covid-19 RT PCR test for all the Indian Premier League (IPL) team members.
The screening of teams has already started in Mumbai and Chennai, where the initial matches are scheduled to be played. Earlier, Neuberg Diagnostics had conducted screening during the IPL auction in Chennai as well.
As per the guidelines, all the players, management team, broadcasting crew, state and central cricket committee member, groundskeepers, hotel staff, and the event management team are being tested.
The tests are conducted at various hotels where the teams are stationed in the bio-bubble and at the stadiums for the other staff members at a regular interval.
Speaking on the development, Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group Chief Operating, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited said: “For the smooth functioning of IPL 2021, we are happy to undertake testing for all team members on the ground and help them curtail the spread of the virus.”
“Neuberg will be conducting tests in all IPL venues Viz: Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Kolkata. Neuberg follows guidelines and protocols laid down by ICMR and the state government authorities for sample collection. With a mantra of “safety with convenience”, she added.
Neuberg also said that their phlebotomists will wear PPE, face shield, gloves, masks etc during the sample collection process.
Significantly in the last week of March, several ground-staff members of the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai had tested positive for Covid-19 however, now most of them have recovered.
Among the players, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Devdutt Padikkal, Delhi Capitals’ Axar Patel and KKR’s Nitish Rana were the three to return positive for Covid-19.
However, Rana and Padikkal recovered and returned negative later.
On April 6, former India stumper and current Mumbai Indians’ wicket keeping consultant Kiran More had tested positive for Covid-19.