National Sports Festival In The Midst Of Rampaging Pandemic Disease (COVID- 19), A Misplaced Priority Or Greed For Estacode?

May we know the essence of a National Sports Festival

• an activity that is contact driven – in the midst of a rampaging disease, recently acknowledged and declared as pandemic by Word Health Organization (WHO)?

The latest report on global precautionary measure has it that: “Rome Closes ALL Its Catholic Churches And Scraps Compulsory Sunday Mass In Italy’s Latest Drastic Step To Stop Coronavirus:

Rome has closed down all its Catholic churches in Italy’s latest drastic step to halt the coronavirus outbreak.

Worshippers have been exempted from attending Sunday Mass in a shutdown announced by the Pope’s deputy in Rome last night as Italy’s death toll passed 1,000.

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis said Rome’s 900 churches will be closed until at least April 3, when Italy’s nationwide quarantine is due to end.

The Vatican has already shut down St Peter’s Square, St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican museums to tourists with weddings and funerals called off.”

In another report:

Premier League football (soccer) matches have been suspended in England until April 3rd due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, a group of the country’s major football bodies has announced. – Sky News reports.

These people have made it crystal that, In this unprecedented situation, they chose to work closely with all organs to reassure everyone that the health and welfare of players, “staff and supporters are priority”. Adding that a two high-profile cases of COVID-19 reported within the English footballing community, is enough signal that all is not well.

The same cancellation and suspension is happening in the US, the NBA and NHL, while football leagues in Countries like Itality, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Ireland, are facing the Same suspension, according to Sky News.

Question is, why is our own different? Are we indirectly claiming to be immune to COVID – 29, even with alleged pocket cases here and there?
What is indispensable about the festival that cannot wait for the time being?

It can only be out of greed, insatiable lost for what to get, or insensitivity on the part of the handlers and participating teams, that would ginger the continuation of such a contact driven festival, in a time the spread is becoming a threat to human existence.

It is worthy of note that, Nigerians are facing enough challenges that adding another one as contagious as COVID- 19 would be disastrous. The organizers of that festival are therefore, advised to reconsider their position in the interest of National Heath.

Written by Nnamdi UKASANYA