PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) says its players and staff residing in Trinidad and Tobago have all tested negative for COVID-19 and will join the tournament bubble at the official hotel over the coming days. 

The CPL said the St Lucia Zouks squad and the members of the Trinbago Knight Riders squad who travelled into Trinidad have also tested negative for COVID-19 and they will begin training today, with other teams doing so in the coming days.

Results from further testing of all other members of the travelling cohort are expected today after a second round of testing on Monday.

Michael Hall, tournament operations director, said: “We have been extremely careful in how we have gone about introducing those who are resident in Trinidad and Tobago into the tournament bubble and these tests coming back negative is very good news for the tournament. We will continue to be vigilant to ensure the health and well-being of everyone, both inside the tournament bubble and the wider public.”

The Twenty20 tournament gets underway on August 18 and will see 33 games played at two venues in Trinidad. The first match will see last year’s runners-up, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, take on the Trinbago Knight Riders. The final will take place on September 10.

Barbados Tridents are the defending champions. The other teams are St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St Lucia Zouks and Jamaica Tallawahs.