The Botswana Football Association (BFA) President Maclean Letshwiti has, on behalf of the football stakeholders in the landlocked country, conveyed his message concerning the coronavirus pandemic.
Letshwiti, who ascended to the presidency of the BFA in 2016, has urged the public to follow all official health practitioner’s protocols for their safety and others.
“We have stopped all the football activities indefinitely as we take into consideration the efforts by the governments across the world to curb this pandemic. Let’s take care of ourselves and others. We have to reduce any chance of infection,” said Letshwiti.
The decision to indefinitely suspended all the football activities follows a meeting of the Emergency Committee of the FA held on March 12 that discussed and assessed the situation relating to the coronavirus.
The FA decision has been necessitated by the need to mitigate the risk of infection. This decision will be kept under constant review.
“The health and well-being of our players, supporters and stakeholders, and those involved in the operation of the football matches, is of utmost importance. We will constantly assess and monitor the situation, get advice and guidance from government and health officials, and put contingency plans in place to respond to any emerging trends to Covid-19,” read a statement from BFA.
Botswana is in lockdown from April 2-28 in a bid to halt the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, the same sentiments were echoed by national Under-20 coach Keitumetse ‘Pio’ Paul, who urges Batswana to wash their hands, keep clean in their surroundings and stay home during this lockdown period.
You can check out his video right here.
By Moagi Madisa
Remember to adhere to the guidelines laid out by the World Health Organisation in the bid to combat the coronavirus outbreak, which include:
Wash your hands frequently: Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Maintain social distancing: Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth: Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Practice respiratory hygiene: Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early: Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
