… WI physio says blueprint requires strict testing policies, good fiscal structure and meticulous planning

By Clifton Ross

GUYANA Jaguars and West Indies physio Neil Barry Jr believes that a bubble system could likely be a future option locally if COVID-19 persists, but said the pros and cons must definitely be weighed ahead of such a meticulous project.

Barry, one of the first Guyanese to experience life inside a bubble, having travelled with the men’s West Indies senior team for the tour of England, followed by the recently concluded Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with the former champions Barbados Tridents.

Giving his insight into what is needed in order for a system like that to have a high success rate, should one be created locally, Barry highlighted finances and scrupulous testing methods along with contingency plans as premier boxes which will need to be ticked.

“I would support the idea of establishing a bubble for the return of cricket locally, so long as it’s feasible. You have to consider the cost of the project as well as getting the athletes tested before entering.

“Testing them while inside the bubble and that includes several tests for the duration of the competition. Additionally you have to consider the cost of housing all the athletes in one place and the cost attached with regard to management of the bubble, keeping persons fed and keeping the bubble itself clean,” said the physio.

Although the bubble has been a safe way to conduct live sports while attempting to keep those inside safe, Barry, weighting some of the cons, said the logistical aspect runs deeper than meets the eye, as such a project will need multiple working facets in order to have similar success rates as those of the bubbles used elsewhere.

“You’ve got to make a lot of decisions because there’s a lot that goes into hosting a bubble so if those considerations are made and it’s feasible then I think it’s the number one safe option in returning sports during COVID-19.

“The main pro is keeping persons safe, not just the players but the staff and administrators who may need to be involved in the bubble. Keeping in mind that all of the persons in the bubble are among the high-risk group, in terms of administration and who may have preexisting conditions or maybe over the age of 50,” he pointed out.

Switching to more positives which can be derived from the bubble system, the Jaguars physio highlighted a number of crucial reasons as to why the project, if given any life, could certainly pave the way for live action locally regardless of the pandemic.

“Then of course we have to look at keeping players safe and the fact that the guys will be in a bubble. It prevents them from being silent carriers so we know from research that people who are not in the high-risk group can be asymptomatic carriers and could take that back home to their families. So in that way it does help to slow COVID-19. The issues overall will definitely be based on practicality and cost because it is quite expensive as you could imagine.”

He continued, “Some of the measures which will help it to become successful include: heavy testing with results in a short period of time; in case someone in the bubble tests positive you need contact tracing inside the bubble to be aware of who had contact with who. So if someone does test positive you have a specific number of persons whom you can test to see if they are positive as well rather than having to test the entire group,” Barry further explained.

No cricket has been played since March in Guyana and with the Regional season also in limbo due to the virus, Barry said it was good to mull over all the various options, especially if the feasibility and finances allow for such construction of a project.

However, he also believed that once the hard work is done and the bubble proves to be a success then other associations could likely look to follow the same steps and create a system of their own.

“I’m not sure if the nubble module is one that associations might want to pursue due to logistical issues and cost. But if the pandemic does persist and it’s done successfully, other associations may want to replicate and continue until we are able to slow the spread and have scientifically proven treatments and measures for COVID-19.

“A lot of persons are eager for cricket to return locally but as always safety does come first but they do need to be playing to keep their skills sharp so they would want to return quickly as soon as it’s safe,” Barry ended.