New Zealand, Windies players pass COVID-19 tests

All 20 of the New Zealand and West Indies players and support staff in managed isolation tested negative for the novel coronavirus and are on schedule to leave their biosecure facility next week, New Zealand Cricket said on Thursday.

Players and support staff from both teams arrived in New Zealand last week after fulfilling their Indian Premier League commitments and were immediately placed into a mandatory 14-day isolation where they were subject to three COVID-19 tests.

"The two groups will have their final tests on Day 12 and, results permitting, will leave managed isolation next Thursday, November 26," New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said in a statement.

The players were allowed to leave isolation for training sessions at NZC's high performance centre after their first COVID-19 test on the third day, but must remain in biosecure bubbles until released.

The bulk of the West Indies squad, who arrived in New Zealand late last month, were released last week after completing their mandatory isolation and moved to Queenstown for two warmup matches against New Zealand 'A' ahead of the Twenty20 series starting next week.

The first match of the Twenty20 series is in Auckland on November 27 before a two-Test series starts on December 3.