Safa to tighten Covid protocols

WHILE South Africa battles its third wave of Covid-19 infections, the SA Football Association says everything will be done to ensure the bio-secure environment of the Cosafa Cup next month.

The Cosafa Cup runs from 6-18 July in Nelson Mandela Bay, and as this week SA was recording in excess of 11 000 new Covid-19 cases per day on a seven-day average.

“We are in the third wave, so it means our protocols must be strictly adhered to. Everyone that will be coming into the bio-secure environment will have to produce a negative Covid-19 certificate. That includes players, team officials, Cosafa staff and all volunteers,”

Safa’s chief medical officer Thulani Ngwenya said.

Ngwenya added that at the end of the group stage, everyone that remains will have to have a second test. There will be four rounds of testing in all.

“We cannot exceed 100 people at the venues, which includes the teams, broadcasters, medical personal and everybody involved on matchday,” Ngwenya said.

“We will make sure everyone is adhering to the protocols. People showing symptoms of Covid-19 will be isolated and will be tested. The isolation period is 10 days, and after that they can be tested again to come back into the bio-secure environment.”

Eswatini and Lesotho will kick-off the tournament at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, on 6 July, before hosts SA face Botswana at the same venue later in the day.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, all matches will be played behind closed doors, while the limit on the number of people that can be on site at the venues means there will be no media present either.