The return of T&T women's cricketers Anisa Mohammed, West Indies women's vice-captain, and travelling reserve player Karishma Ramharack, members of the regional team in Zimbabwe at the now cancelled International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, are now engaging the attention of the Ministries of Sports and Health.
This according to Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh at a COVID-19 media conference on Saturday morning, addressing aspects of his ministry's release which was sent out on Friday evening.
The release advised the public that, given the emergence of the new COVID-19 Variant of Concern - Omicron (B.1.1.529) COVID-19, the government has imposed travel restrictions on travellers from the following countries, Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
"The teams, the Trinidadians returning here, we will work with the respective agencies, they are on national duty, and we will see what arrangements can be made for them," said the Minister Deyalsingh.
"The same thing will apply to other teams. They will work closely with the Ministry of Sport and their governing bodies to see what arrangements they could make but understand, the Omicron pose, a new threat to T&T and to the world and we have to respond and balance all of these things. It is already engaging our attention."
On Saturday, the ICC announced that the women's qualifying tournament which was scheduled to be played until December 5, was called off due to the emergence of the latest COVID-19 variant in South Africa and the introduction of travel restrictions from a number of African countries, including the host country, it has reluctantly decided to call off the event, with the qualification slots decided as per team rankings, in keeping with the tournament’s playing conditions.
Also, Zimbabwe and South Africa are two nations that will be travelling to the Caribbean for the upcoming ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, early next year.
Just Thursday, tournament director of the U-19 World Cup Fawwaz Baksh thanked the governments of T&T, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, and St Kitts and Nevis for supporting Cricket West Indies in hosting its fourth global tournament at a media conference at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair, Port-of-Spain.
Then, Baksh advised that all the officials and coaching staff members must be vaccinated for COVID-19, saying: “We have a requirement at Cricket West Indies that everyone who is coming to this tournament be 100 percent vaccinated.”
However, Baksh added that the rule will not apply to the players because some of them will be Under-18 and the vaccine is still unavailable in some countries for children.
New Zealand withdrew from the competition due to the mandatory quarantine restrictions for minors that they would have faced on their return journey from the tournament and was replaced by Scotland.
The Scottish team joins West Indies, Australia, and Sri Lanka in Group D. Bangladesh is the current defending champion and will come up against England, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates in Group A. India, Ireland South Africa, and Uganda are in Group B and Afghanistan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, and Zimbabwe are in Group C.
According to the Ministry of Health release non-nationals (Persons who are not citizens or permanent residents of T&T): "All persons who - are not citizens or permanent residents of T&T and have visited the countries listed above within a fourteen (14) day time period of their arrival in T&T will not be allowed entry into T&T at this time.
"The Ministry will continue to assess the situation and advise the population of any adjustments to this Health Travel Advisory, as required."
The 2022 ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is carded to take place in T&T, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, and St Kitts and Nevis from January 14 to February 5, featuring 16 participating nations in 48 matches.