By Duncan Mlanjira
Following the growing concerns of the COVID-19 virus and the declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) which described it as epidemic, Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided to postpone the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021 qualifiers.
For the Match Day 3 and 4 of the qualifiers scheduled for 25-31 March 2020, the Flames are preparing to face Burkina Faso away in Ouagadougou on March 26 before hosting their opponents at Kamuzu Stadium four days later.
The Flames and their coach Meke Mwase
According to Cafoline.com, the decision to halt the AFCON comes after a meeting in Cairo on Friday afternoon.
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Other matches that have been postponed until further notice are FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup qualifiers scheduled for March 20-22 and March 27-29 as well as the Women’s AFCON 2020 qualifiers scheduled for April 8-14 April.
Meanwhile, in order to prevent, contain and/or reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the African Union is discouraging non-essential and personal international and local travel and urges all travelers to carefully consider their intended destinations for personal trips.
The African Union
A statement from the AU’s deputy chairperson Kwesi Quartey also urges its staff and the rest of Africa to strictly adhere to restrictions or quarantine measures required by the African Union or national authorities upon return.
The AU has also suspended with immediate effect and until further notice all meetings and official international or local travel and missions for the months of March and April 2020.
The AU says only critical or essential meetings and travels related to health and security shall be allowed through a written waiver following assessment and approval by the AU management.
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This, according to AU, is due to the fact that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the COVID-19 a global epidemic.
“Our highest priority is to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone in the African Union community.
“This means taking actions that limit exposure of African Union community members to the virus by imposing social distancing where appropriate and generally, elevating preventive hygiene practices.”
Always wash hands with soap
The AU has prescribed precautionary measures that members should display visuals of precautionary measures such as washing of hands, no handshaking.
The AU says where possible the business community should conduct events through live streaming or other technologies and to follow the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) and the Medical Health Services Directorate recommendations for preventive measures.
These measures include washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the toilet; beafore eating and after blowing the nose, coughing or sneezing.
People should also avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; avoid close contact with people who are sick and state home when they are sick.
They are also asked to cover cough or sneeze with a tissue, dispose it safely and wash hands after disposing.
They should also clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or swipe.