COVID-19 Screening and the CPL Island Games Bubble

The Challenge

The Canadian Premier League (CPL) had three main challenges when it came to salvaging a 2020 season after it was delayed substantially by the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Creating and executing a “Return to Train Strategy” in their home cities
2. Finding a location for the league as a whole to compete (in bubble form) toward a 2020 season championship
3. Selecting a COVID-19 screening solution that would help monitor the health and safety of their bubble

The Solution

There were many factors that went into the CPL’s plan to organize and execute the “Return to Train Strategy” and ultimately the Island Games. However, the most important component in both of those steps was keeping everyone safe. Throughout each step of each process when it came to COVID-related risks, Kinduct’s COVID-19 screening solution played a part in the way of monitoring symptoms, potential exposures, and overall health and wellness of all eight CPL clubs. 

During the “Return to Train” phase, athletes had their temperatures recorded in their respective club’s Kinduct platform as they arrived at practice facilities. This was done by someone like Derek McLennan (Head of AT for Valour FC), Kiran Persad (Head Physiotherapist of York9 FC), or what the league deemed a “Protocol Manager” — a designated and required position responsible for administering protocol communication and compliance.Kinduct helped automate the process and notified platform admins of any potential “red flags,” such as a high temperature or potential exposures to the virus.

Kiran Persad said, “Everything recorded online makes it easier for me to refer back in the case of any illnesses or breakouts. Also, [the report is] great because the league wants to see the data collected so digitized forms are easy to share and for everyone to see.”

This use of Kinduct continued in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI) where the Island Games took place.

The Outcome

The Island Games were a success. All eight teams travelled to and stayed on PEI for six weeks. Though shortened, the season was competitive, entertaining, and, most importantly, completed without a single case of COVID-19. All members of the bubble — everyone from athletes to video crew, and referees to league executives — were monitored through Kinduct’s COVID-19 screening solution during the Island Games. In total, nearly 300 people completed over 900 surveys during the Island Games.

“The Kinduct system was one of a number of key pieces in the puzzle given the demands from local and federal health authorities in our overall efforts to return to train and then ultimately our return to play with the development of the Island Games,” said Michael Findlay, the CPL’s Director of Football Development. “The ability to have immediate and easy access with such comprehensive data met all requirements and is something we believe other organizations in sport would see great benefits from in these challenging times.”