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Burundi Football Team Plays Through Coronavirus Threat


FILE - The stadium in Buye, north of Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, is seen in this picture taken May 1, 2015.
FILE - The stadium in Buye, north of Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, is seen in this picture taken May 1, 2015.

Burundi's national football club is continuing its pursuit of a championship, despite the deadly risk posed by the global spread of the coronavirus.

Just this week, the East African nation announced the discovery of the first three confirmed cases of COVID-19.

However, the few cases in Burundi have not yet swayed authorities to take proactive steps to get ahead of the virus by shutting down large public gatherings.

Jean Gilbert Kanyenkore, coach of the Vital’O FC football team, said the players were taking precautions such as washing their hands and avoiding handshakes.

However, given the contact nature of football, it won't be easy for players to maintain a safe distance from one another in order to avoid potential person-to-person transmission of the virus.

Off the field, spectators arriving to the stadiums will have their temperatures checked to determine if they have a fever, a symptom associated with carriers of the virus.

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