ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) is confident the 2020/21 domestic cricket season will progress smoothly despite recording five COVID-19 cases on the eve of the Logan Cup competition that got underway in Harare on Wednesday. The positive cases were confirmed after up to 100 players and support staff members were tested for the coronavirus during a screening exercise conducted before they could enter into a bio-secure bubble set up for the first-class tournament. All the five infected individuals are not showing any symptoms and have since been isolated, with the ZC medical team constantly monitoring them. Having set up the bio-secure bubble as part of stringent measures aimed at greatly minimising the risk of players and support staff contracting COVID-19, ZC is expecting all its domestic competitions to be played and completed in a safe environment without any disruptions. Logan Cup matches that started today with Mountaineers facing Eagles at Harare Sports Club and Tuskers taking on Rhinos at Old Hararians Sports Club marked the beginning of the 2020/21 season. The five provincial teams taking part in the first-class championship, including Southern Rocks, are all staying at a strictly controlled accommodation facility in the capital. Accordingly, all those in the bio-secure bubble — which apart from the accommodation also encompasses the practice and match venues as well as buses that are all regularly sanitised and cleaned — are not permitted to have access to families, visitors, friends and relatives for the duration of their stay in the controlled environment. Besides being expected to adhere to all COVID-19 protocols such as the regular sanitising of hands and observation of physical distancing, all individuals within the bio-secure bubble are monitored daily through temperature and symptom checks. At ZC, the health and welfare of all employees remains the top priority. — ZC