JADCO puts one week hold on testing of athletes

The Jamaica Anti Doping Commission (JADCO) says it's not business as usual and that in light of the continued spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will be suspending drug testing of the nations' sportsmen and women. But the local anti-doping body says the suspension will not be  indefinite and has put a one week cap on its operations.

Up to Tuesday, March 17, 2020, the nation's elite sportsmen and women were still subject to drug testing carried out by JADCO, even with the Covid-19 pandemic dominating headlines. However, that has now changed, at least for a week, as JADCO will be carrying out no drug testing from March 18-25.

Last week reports surfaced that the national anti-doping bodies in Canada, Germany, England and Ireland had significantly scaled down their testing of athletes instead of zero testing. But according to JADCO, they were instructed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), to follow the guidelines set out by  the Jamaican Government during the Covid-19 emergency.

JADCO says athletes and stakeholders have been notified. In the meantime, JADCO’s chairman Alexander Williams is confident athletes will not attempt to violate anti-doping rules during this period of no drug testing. JADCO’s headquarters remain temporarily closed to the public.