The Confederation of African Football has sent a team of medical experts to asses the situation in 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) hosts nation Cameroon to asses the medical situation in the country.
The medical commission including experts Adoum Djibrime, Dr. Zerguini, and Dr. Sidiki will be in Cameroon this week to assess the health situation with regard to Coronavirus, as part of the preparation for the CHAN.
The CHAN tournament is due April 4–24 in the areas of Yaounde, Douala, and Limbe, but faces a threat of the global pandemic of the Coronavirus, and CAF would want to clearly examine the situation before a decision is made.
Last week, Cameroon registered its first cases of the Corona after a French traveler and his female companion tested positive for the disease, bringing the total of registered outbreaks in the Sub-Saharan part of the continent to five.
CAF still maintains that there will be no cancellation of continental games for now, and are convinced that the medical commission will help advice on precautionary measures to ensure the tournament is safe for all delegations.
“CAF has mandated the Medical Committee to monitor the evolution of this disease and to set up measures to protect the health of players and all actors of the game,” read a statement from CAF.
Sports has been one of the most affected industries worldwide due to the Coronavirus, with the outbreak forcing a change in schedule and location for major sporting events.
Italian Serie A game between Juventus and Inter Milan was played behind closed doors due to the Coronavirus outbreak | Courtesy photo
Football games, motorsport races, cycling tours, and other competitions have been canceled, while other games have been played behind closed doors for fear of the continuous spread throughout Asia and the world at large.
In Italy, the government suspended all sports events for a month until April 3, as the corona continues to affect the nation.
However, Cameroon Minister of Public Health, Dr. Manaouda Malachi retaliated that there is no need to panic in the case of Cameroon and whether the CHAN will go ahead.
Speaking during a press-conference on COVID-19, Malachi said there is nothing to worry about just yet because the situation of the Corona Virus is under control.
Cameroon Minister for Public health Dr Manaouda Malachi, speaking during a recent press conference about the COVID-19 outbreak in the country | Courtesy photo
“We will function scientifically during the competition, there is no possibility of annulation as of now because no factor can favour this decision in Cameroon. On the contrary, we will have stricter measures to follow-up each and every participant during the competition,” Malachi noted.
Malachi also made a review of preventive measures implemented by the government in the meantime, with isolation rooms created in Douala hospital, Yaounde Central hospital, Airports, and other major entry points to improve on control and monitoring.
Teams comprising 30 persons have been deployed to each region as part of the measures to help curb the virus
