Bangkok Safety Protocols: From Airport to Green Bubble
Bangkok has been busy preparing for months to welcome the world’s top badminton players to the three-tournament Asian Leg of the HSBC BWF World Tour 2020, putting in place an array of measures to ensure the safest…
· BWF STAFF
Bangkok has been busy preparing for months to welcome the world’s top badminton players to the three-tournament Asian Leg of the HSBC BWF World Tour 2020, putting in place an array of measures to ensure the safest possible environment for the competing athletes and their entourage.
As part of the safety procedure, all athletes, coaches, staff and entourage were required to return a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their Thailand-bound flights. Upon arrival at the Suvarnabhumi Airport on 4 January, every participant was subjected to body temperature checks. Players and their entourage, in socially-distanced assigned seats on their buses, were then escorted to the hotel by police as part of BWF’s safety protocols, which includes avoiding contact with those not in the strict sports bubble. The video below by the Badminton Association of Thailand shows the process in detail.
Players have now begun their isolation time in their hotel rooms in compliance with The Department of Disease Control of Thailand's requirements. The strict procedures allow athletes to see their physios in their rooms once practice commences. A special procedure/appointment is needed for any personnel leaving their room to visit the practice hall, or in the case of a physio, the athlete they treat.