Coronavirus: South Sudan Has Banned All Football Activities And Public Gatherings
South Sudan has banned all football related activities including the local Konyo-Konyo League matches to prevent the spread of the coronavirus or COVID-19.
The South Sudan Football Association [SSFA] has urged the public to avoid public gatherings, shaking hands or hugging.
Speaking Sunday during a joint news conference with the health ministry, Francis Amin Michael, president of the SSFA said the decision was appropriate given the severity of the situation.
“We advise our football fans to avoid any gathering and any movement without any reason, “Amin said.
He also advised the country’s players, especially those in Australia, Check Republic, Malesia, Tanzania], Uganda and Kenya as well as those in Sudan and in South Sudan, to take care of themselves and avoid any public gatherings and handshakes as advised by health officials he says.
The She Bright Stars of South Sudan
Amin says the suspension will also affect the reconstruction of Juba National Stadium because some materials scheduled to be imported from China and Italy will not arrive for at least the next few weeks as a result of the imposed travel ban to those countries by government.
Amin says the finals of the South Sudan Cup will go ahead on March 21st but without fans.
Loui Dhow, a medical doctor with South Sudan’s health ministry, says the ban was necessary since some neighboring countries have already reported confirmed cases of COVID – 19.
“We know that we are vulnerable, our health system is weak, the infrastructure for health is weak, the human capacity to deal with a major outbreak of that scale is weak. And so we don’t have to take any chance at all.”
South Sudan has only four trained medical technicians to handle coronavirus should there be an outbreak of the pandemic in the country.
Doctor Dhow says for that reason South Sudan has suspended flights to and from all corona affected countries and all travelers coming from those countries are required to be quarantined for at least 14 days.
He says football activities are suspended because the sport brings many fans together which would vastly increase the risk of spreading the virus.
Ochan Amos, who has been following the local Konyo-Konyi league says the SSFA made the right decision.
“I think it is a good move by the South Sudan football governing body since corona virus has become an epidemic and spreads so fast,” Amos says.
He he worries that since neighboring Kenya, Sudan and DR Congo have confirmed the cases, the novel coronavirus is most likely to cross into South Sudan.
“We have people moving in and out of the country, mostly to Kenya. So we are most likely to also confirm this [Coronavirus] case in the country,” Amos predicted.
Another football lover Chicka Sydney, who also plays for the junior Bright Stars thinks the suspension is an overreaction since coronavirus is not yet confirmed in South Sudan.
“If it’s not confirmed then I don’t see a reason why they should do that. Much as it’s all over the world that countries are suspending football out of their sports stuff but I think it’s really not a good idea because it’s not yet confirmed.”
Sydney says he would not object to the decision to suspend football matches if there was a confirmed case of Corona Virus in the country.
The coronavirus or COVID-19 is affecting 160 countries and territories around the world.
President Salva Kiir also banned his newly sworn cabinet ministers from traveling out of the country to avoid contracting the disease and importing in home.
Kiir made the announcement Monday during a swearing in ceremony at stae house J-1. During his speech, Kiir said the novel coronavirus should not be taken for granted. He urged the citizens to strictly follow health officials guidelines for safety purposes.
According to the World Health Organization, common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, dry cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
WHO experts say the standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.
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