Egypt 2021 Medical Commission announce a COVID-19 four-pillar protection plan

The Medical Commission of the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship, that will take place in Egypt, has released its preventive plan to secure the international event from the Coronavirus pandemic.

Under the helm of Dr. Hazem Khamis, the Head of the Medical Commission announced a four-pillar plan as follows; the first pillar starts one month before the launch of the tournament, where a commission affiliated to the preventive sector of the Egyptian Health Ministry will classify the degree of the coronavirus activity in the countries that will take part in the World Championship.

Egypt will host the 27th edition of the IHF Men's Handball World Championship from 13 to 31 January 2021.

The Medical Commission will raise the preventive measures level while dealing with the countries who witness medium level of the virus activity as well as applying the measures of the quarantine routine on all partcipants including screening the temperature and undergoing PCR tests with filling the health card.

Egypt's 2021 Medical Commission stressed that all the delegations will undergo PCR tests when they arrive at their designated hotels and it will be repeated every 72 hours.

The second pillar of the preventive plan will include raising the awareness of all delegations by introducing training methods and instructions for all participants in the tournament via a brief booklet which they will receive in the airports halls upon arrival.

The Medical Commission also said that all the working crews in the hotels and stadiums alongside managerial members will be trained on the preventive measures including how to use the facemasks and cleaning and sanitising hands in an effective and right way.

The medical teams of the participants will be continually assigned to make sure that the preventive and precautionary measures are being followed. Furthermore printed posters of awareness will be distributed at all venues and any sites related to the event.

The third pillar includes the preventive measures by screening the temperature in the hotels' entrances, the training halls, before boarding the buses and before entering the meeting rooms.

The Medical Commission stressed on following these preventive measures by adapting the 'Full Bubbles' system, where each group will be isolated in a big bubble and they won't leave it until they depart, in addition to maintaining keeping the social distances and good ventilation.

Dealing with all wastes as dangerous medical wastes as well as providing hand sanitizers in all places of the participating delegations.

The fourth pillar is related to the way of dealing with the suspected infected cases.

The Medical Commission confirmed that the fourth pillar ensures the crises and emergency room is always active on a daily basis of 24/7 and always ready to receiving all reports from all governorates that will host the tournament as well as arranging with all stakeholders.

The Commission will also designate a quick response team to be located in playing venues with all preventive tools to be ready for dealing with any suspected cases.

The quick response team is to ensure the availability of isolation rooms in the playing venues, training halls and the hotels and to be fully equipped and ready to receive any cases.