ESL’s COVID safety protocol for IEM Katowice 2022 unveiled

Tournament operator ESL on its official website has published the safety protocol for IEM Katowice 2022 participants, which teams must adhere to in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In the list of rules presented, special attention is paid to the rules for replacing players in case any player gets sick.

The main points of the IEM Katowice 2022 safety protocol:

  • All players, coaches & additional personnel are required to perform a pre-travel PCR test within 24 hours of departure, before traveling to Poland. For cases where teams are already in Poland ahead of time, a PCR test within 24 hours of departure to Katowice and the official tournament hotel is also required.
  • Prior to the tournament starting, teams were able to submit up to 5 players as substitutes for their roster.
  • Medical face masks are required within official venues (except while eating, drinking or competing).
  • Should a player test positive after arrival and check-in at the official hotel, but show limited or no symptoms, and they feel fit to continue playing the tournament, teams may request for them to play from isolation out of the official hotel with tournament equipment and under ESL tournament integrity supervision, or take advantage of a substitution or emergency transfer.
  • It will not be possible to play out of isolation due to the vast difference in the tournament environment (i.e. spectators, loud cheering, stage audio system, etc). All players will be required to be on stage and any player which may be positive and in isolation shall be replaced with a substitute or emergency transfer.

The ESL representatives noted that the rules listed above were approved after agreement with all participants. The teams that do not abide by the rules may be subject to sanctions, which there is no concrete information about at the moment.

IEM Katowice 2022 will be held from February 15 to 27. The prestigious tournament with $1 million as a total prize pool is divided into three stages: Play-In, group stage and playoffs. The first two stages will be held in a studio format, while the decisive matches will be hosted at the 11,000-seater Spodek Arena.

Origin: pro.eslgaming.com