ESL to implement health screening for IEM Katowice attendees amid coronavirus outbreak

ESL has announced that all guests attending IEM Katowice will be subject to a health check amid coronavirus fears.

The decision is included in the updated guidelines for the Polish event as ESL continues to work closely "with the local government and health authorities" before the tournament reaches its live stage, at a time when Poland has yet to report its first confirmed case of coronavirus.

The mandatory health screening will include temperature checks for every guest entering the Spodek arena from Friday to Sunday. Those who have a high temperature may not be allowed inside the venue, a decision that will be made on a case-by-case basis by dedicated medical personnel on-site, an ESL spokesperson has told HLTV.org.

The travel routes for all players, press and special guests were verified by ESL, which asked all those coming from high-risk areas to either "provide a valid health certificate" or "attend additional health screenings."

Over the course of the three-day live event at Spodek, ESL will be adding extra medical staff, first aid patrols and additional sanitization stations for all visitors, who will be educated on hygiene measures.

The coronavirus has already spread to at least 42 countries, infecting over 80,000 people and claiming nearly 3,000 lives. On January 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the respiratory infection as a global health emergency.