Edo 2020: COVID-19 Test, Vaccination Compulsory For Athletes, Officials

The Main Organizing Committee for the 2020 National Sports Festival has made it compulsory for all athletes/officials from the 35 states and the FCT, participating in the games to take COVID-19 tests 72 hours before arrival for the biennial games, BSNSports.com.ng reports. In addition, all athletes/officials are expected to take COVID-19 vaccine at least 12 days before they arrive in Benin City. According to arrangements, the Games village will open for Athletes and officials on April 2. However, organisers have said only athletes and officials who present certificates and documentation of COVID-19 tests and vaccination would be admitted into the Games Villages. And in order to ensure compliance with COVID-19 regulations, officials of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) will arrive in Benin City four days to the commencement of the festival, to monitor compliance with COVID-19 guidelines. Meanwhile, the torch of unity will arrive in Edo State on April 3, and will go round the 18 local governments in the state and arrive at the Mainbowl of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on April 6, where Governor Godwin Obaseki will light it up. Although the sports festival is opened to the public, organizers have said attendance at the games will be strictly regulated just as the general public is advised to follow the activities across media platforms, including social platforms, as it will be streamed live. Even as the games will be held in 2021 due to several postponements, the State Government and the Ministry have agreed that the tag-line for the games remain ‘Edo 2020’.