Cricket Association of Bengal closes office in wake of Coronavirus outbreak
BCCI
The Cricket Association of Bengal, on Tuesday, closed its office for five days, asking the employees to work from home, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move seems to have come after BCCI decided to shut down its office, with the employees given an option to work from home.
The Coronavirus has not only played spoilt sport on the field but off the field as the Cricket Association of Bengal, on Tuesday, closed its office for five days, asking the employees to work from home, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation is such that almost all sporting activities have been indefinitely suspended in the country and even the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League could be a non-starter this year even though the BCCI is keeping no stones unturned to make it happen.
The move seems to have come after Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to shut down its office. The employees of BCCI have been given an option to work from home. It is only fitting that state boards are following the suit. The step taken by BCCI and President Sourav Ganguly comes right after all cricket matches which concerned the BCCI was cancelled as well. The ODI series between India and South Africa was the first to be called off. The 13th edition of the IPL could also face a similar fate, but for now, the board has suspended the tournament till April 15.
"It is for restricting the people movement in office. Therefore, the office of the Association will remain closed from Tuesday to Saturday as a precautionary measure against the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. However, it is clarified that managers and functional heads can take a decision to get employees to report to office as per work exigency/priorities. During this period, it would be work from home which implies that the employees must be available on phone calls, emails and any other mode of communication during working hours,” said CAB secretary Debabrata Das as quoted by Times of India.
Even the Tokyo Olympics, which is scheduled to start in less than five months on July 24, is under a cloud due to the growing threat caused by the virus. Several Olympic qualifying events, including those for climbing, boxing, fencing and judo have been cancelled or postponed, leaving athletes in the lurch about how and when they will be able to qualify for the Games.
"The COVID-19 is a pandemic, and in line with advisories and directives from the WHO, both the Central Government and Government of West Bengal, we are taking precautionary measures to secure the safety and well being of members of our staff. We look forward to support from all. Take care and stay safe," Cricket Association of Bengal president Avishek Dalmiya said in a statement.
Looking to ensure citizens’ safety, the government had, on March 11, cancelled all visas, except for a few official categories, till April 15 in the wake of the growing coronavirus scare. It has been decided that all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment and project visas, would remain suspended till April 15 amid growing coronavirus cases in India.
