England express concern over bio-secure environment breach

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SHOTLIST AND SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA'S CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER DR. SHUAIB MANJRA ON A POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST WITH IN THE CRICKET SQUADS BIO-SECURE BUBBLE AND ON ENGLAND'S CONCERNS TO PLAY / VOX POPS FROM PEOPLE IN THE STREETS OF CAPE TOWN ON PROSPECT OF ODI MATCH BEING PLAYED

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS WHITE FLASHES

SHOWS:

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (DECEMBER 4,2020) (CSA - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CSA (CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA) CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, DR SHUAIB MANJRA, SAYING:

"Yeah, so we did a scheduled COVID-19 test yesterday for the team and we unexpectedly had a positive (COVID-19). This was not a unusual test, it's a regular test we've been doing as per the schedule for the bio-bubble and clearly this this test kind of surprised us because we have confidence in the integrity of the bio-secure environment. And further tests indicate that that this is a more recent infection that occurred within the bio safe environment. So, you know, clearly there seems to be some kind of breach which we've investigated in great detail to try and determine where this happened."

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CSA (CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA) CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, DR SHUAIB MANJRA, SAYING:

"I can categorically state that there's no player who can leave who's able to leave the hotel environment simply by virtue of the fact that there's security around and the security will not allow a player to leave unless that player is leaving in an assigned vehicle."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CSA (CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA) CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, DR SHUAIB MANJRA, SAYING:

"England has expressed a concern you know, England is questioning the confidence that they have in the bio-secure environment and rightfully so. If there's been a player who tested positive in the last week, who contracted the virus in the last week. They have cause for concern and we respect that concern. We've met with the English medical teams, and we've kind of planned out a way."

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (DECEMBER 4,2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

6. STREET SCENE DOWNTOWN STELLENBOSCH, OUTSKIRTS OF CAPE TOWN

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICA CRICKET FAN, A.J. MEY, SAYING:

"It's quite sad. The T-20 was very exciting, although I'm a South African but England won. But for it being postponed, even if there's no spectators at the sport itself, at the day itself, it's still watchable on TV and it's still exciting. So, it's sad not to see it and now we don't know if it will happen, if it will get just postponed or maybe postponed forever. So, it's sad. We want to see the match, actually."

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICA CRICKET FAN, FERNANDO, SAYING:

"I think it's a very good thing, but it's for our own sake so yeah, that's what I really think. It's a good plan they postponed the whole thing, yeah."

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICA CRICKET FAN, JOHN JONAS, SAYING:

"They have been preparing for a long time and they spent a lot of money to prepare for that game and we have been waiting for that. And to hear that it's only one person who's been making two games to be postponed, for me, it doesn't make sense."

10. STELLENBOSCH STREET SCENE

STORY: England have questioned the strength of their bio-secure environment in Cape Town after a South African player tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the postponement of the first One-Day International that was scheduled for Newlands on Friday (December 4).

The game was moved to Sunday (December 6) just an hour before it was due to start after the result of the positive test, and the future of the tour will be decided on Saturday (December 5) when both teams and hotel staff are re-tested again.

Both teams are staying in the same hotel, though they have been kept separate, apart from when they are on the pitch.

"England have expressed a concern and questioned the confidence they have in the bio-secure environment and rightfully so if there is a player who has tested positive having contracted the virus in the last week. We respect that concern," South Africa team doctor Shuaib Manjra said in a video released on Friday.

Manjra denied that any player had left the team hotel without authorisation.

"I can categorically state that there's no player who can leave who's able to leave the hotel environment simply by virtue of the fact that there's security around and the security will not allow a player to leave unless that player is leaving in an assigned vehicle."

Should Saturday's tests reveal more positive cases, it is likely the tour will be called off and the matches scheduled for Sunday, Monday and Wednesday cancelled.

(Production: Shafiek Tassiem, Kurt Michael Hall)