Sports activities banned in Masinga constituency after 5 players test Covid-19 positive

All grassroots sporting activities in Masinga Constituency in Machakos County have been banned after five unnamed football players from area teams contracted coronavirus late last week.

Area Member of Parliament Joshua Mwalyo said the athletes were among 10 positive cases reported in Kivaa after a mass testing  exercise in the area.

The legislator urged sportspeople in the area to wait for the final guidelines from the Ministry of Sports to avoid a possible resurgence of infections. He ordered chiefs to ensure no sporting activities are held in the area.

“I urge all sports men and women in my constituency to hold on their horses until the coronavirus infection rate reduces to avoid resurgence. We have five players who have already contracted the disease because sports has resumed without protocols, so let’s wait for the final guidelines from the sports ministry so that we can return to fields safely,” Mwalyo said during a funeral event at his constituency.

A recent spot-check by Citizen Digital confirmed grass roots sport has returned in many parts of the country in anticipation for the full reopening of the sector which was suspended in March after Kenya reported its first coronavirus case.

Late last month, Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed released draft guidelines in a detailed report on sports restart in the country further directing stakeholders to give their views – in a period of seven days – on the report, before the Ministry puts together the final protocols.

However, the CS is yet to announce the way forward for the sporting activities, a week after the stakeholders gave their respective recommendations.