Family members of NRL players will need to undergo five Covid tests

Family members of NRL players will be forced to undergo five Civid-19 tests and any breach will mean they are escorted from the state.

NSW State of Origin players won’t join the NRL hubs until Thursday morning

Family members will be asked to provide a negative Covid-19 result before leaving NSW and then undergo at least four more tests on their arrival in Queensland before they are cleared to join their partners in the NRL hub.

The Australian has obtained the email sent from general manager of elite competitions Jason King to each club on Monday night detailing the protocols around family members joining NRL players in their respective southeast Queensland hubs.

The email makes it clear that the hubs will be monitored by 24-hour security and anyone found to have breached Apollo protocols – be it a player or their family – will be immediately escorted from the state.

“Families will fly directly to the Gold Coast on Saturday and spend 14 days in managed quarantine at one of two hotels which will be exclusively used for families,” King wrote.
“Families must arrive as a group on Saturday to undertake 14 days of managed quarantine in hotel accommodation which will be for the exclusive use of families with all costs met by the NRL.

“We have secured government approval for families to be allowed to leave their hotel rooms and move around the complex – however no one will be permitted to leave the hotel before the 14 day period is complete.

“Families and children aged two and above will also need to provide a negative Covid test before leaving. The NRL will facilitate testing prior to travel.

“Further testing is required by Queensland Health on day one, day five, day 12 and day 16.”

The NRL says family members will be permitted to return to Sydney at any point, but will have to undergo 14 day quarantine if they elect to return to Queensland again in a future NRL batch.

They have also arranged for children’s activities, teachers and other forms of entertainment to make the quarantine period more comfortable.

“Family members will be defined as a live-in partner or children in the custody of a player or staff member,” King wrote.
“Once the quarantine period is complete families will be relocated to join their partners at the respective club hub.

“We ask that all families who plan to travel to Queensland immediately restrict their movement to avoid the risk of becoming a close or casual contact.”

Under a section labelled “Apollo Protocols”, King makes it clear that compliance with the protocol and the requirements of the Queensland government are vitally important.

“Any individual who breaches the protocol will be escorted from the state,” he wrote.
Clubs with State of Origin players will be forced to begin their 14-day quarantine when their respective NSW players join them on Thursday.

“For relocated clubs, unfortunately the 14-day quarantine period commences from the last point a person arrives into a hub who has been in a hotspot,” King wrote.

“For example, if a NSW player joins your hub after being in camp at Kingscliff, day (one) of quarantine will be determined as Thursday.”