BIATHLON BUBBLE AT THE WORLD CUP EVENT IN NMNM PROVED FUNCTIONAL
Elite biathletes have been competing in Nové Město na Moravě in the past few days. The 8th round of the 2020/21 World Cup took place in Vysočina Arena from March 4 – 7, and the next round is taking place from March 11 to 14. The aim of the event is not only to ensure flawless organisation of races, but providing safety from spread of COVID-19 to all participants in the event.
In the first week of the World Cup, the International Biathlon Union laboratory carried out more than 1,150 tests of negative results. Supporting teams were tested twice, using PCR test, and moreover, each participant was obliged to come to the Czech Republic and NMNM with a negative PCR test that was not older than 72 hours.
Organising team members, jurors, and the media staff were tested twice in cooperation with hospital in Nové Město na Moravě, where 500 tests were carried out. Two people had been tested positive before, and therefore were not granted accreditation at all. A third person tested positive during testing carried out in NMNM. The whole group around the positive person was quarantined and substituted by a different group.
A similar testing method, i.e. two PCR tests at least, will be taken advantage of before and during the 9th round of the World Cup. “Nearly a third of PCR tests that are currently being carried out in regional sampling sites in the Nové Město region is positive. Therefore, results of tests undergone by participants of the World Cup suggest that Vysočina Arena is an exceptionally safe place as far as spread of the disease is concerned,” said Dr Dušan Mach, the medical professional from the Organizing Committee in NMNM who is responsible for PCR testing.
The actual life at Vysočina Arena is taking place in three separate zones: the red one is reserved to teams, IBU representatives and the organizing committee staff, the yellow is for the media (TV crews, journalists and photographers), and the blue is for jurors.
Source: Press Centre, BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon in NMNM, March 4 – 14, 2021
