FRI, MARCH 13 2020-theG&BJournal- World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebre said Thursday in a post on Twitter that FIFA’s Gianni Infantino agree with him that WHO and the football community can play a powerful role in helping all people be ready for coronavirus by sharing advice on safe hygiene, safe distancing, knowing the symptoms and taking the right steps when ill, including calling the doctor.
He said WHO will work with footballers, coaches, confederations, federations, clubs and all other stakeholders to raise awareness on how people can stay safe and support each other to fight COVID-19.
‘’Through teamwork and by putting public health first we will beat coronavirus…Starting today, we are launching a drive to use the power of sport to protect all countries against coronavirus,’’ he said.
The football community is reeling from the coronavirus impact, across Europe mostly, where most games have been confined behind closed doors. Two big names in football, Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi and Arsenal’s head coach Mikel Arteta are the latest in the growing list of celebrities and footballers to be diagnosed for Coronavirus. The club personnel who had recent contact with the Arsenal boss is in self isolation and the entire Arsenal squad is set for self-isolation after Arteta tested positive. The Premier League announced it will hold an emergency club meeting this morning to discuss fixtures. Matches currently scheduled will go on as planned this weekend.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is the latest high profile government official to tests positive for coronavirus. Another female diplomat from the Philippines’ mission to the United Nations is reported to have tested positive Thursday, according to note sent to the UN, making the woman the first case to be reported at the UN’s New York headquarters.
Latest figures from John Hopkins University Special data base for coronavirus outbreak: 128,343 total confirmed cases
4,720 total deaths
68, 324 total recovered.
Meanwhile, the latest COVID-19 situation report published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) indicates no new confirmed case in Nigeria. As at Wednesday 11 March 2020, cumulatively, there are two confirmed cases only. Apart from the index case, a total of 40 people have been screened including 7 new potential patients in 5 states (Edo, Lagos, Ogun, FCT and Kano) out which 39 tested negative and have been ruled out, while one confirmed positive which is a contact of the index case with no death.
According to the NCDC, a cumulative total of 217 contacts were linked to the index case comprising of four contacts at the airport, four at the hotel, 40 at the workplace and 169 from the airline.
‘’The two confirmed cases are clinically stable at the designated treatment facility for COVID-19 at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.
|twitter:@theGBJournal|email: info@govandbusinessjournal.com.ng|
