With three years late, the 33rd African Cup of Nations (CAN) finally settles its suitcases in Cameroon, a country addicted to the round ball. But the Omicron variant and the fourth wave of Covid-19 risk disrupting competition.
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It will finally take place. After a first postponement in 2019, because the facilities were not ready, and a new delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the African Cup of Nations starts this Sunday in Cameroon. An event that triggers passions from Casablanca to Yaoundé but also around the world for its stars like Riyad Mahrez, Sebastien Haller or Achraf Hakimi. But while the Omicron variant continues its mad race in Africa, this competition represents a huge health challenge for the Cameroonian authorities.
In a Cameroon where the inhabitants protect themselves little, the draconian rules imposed by the African Football Confederation (CAF) risk dissuading supporters from coming to the stadium en masse. In particular, it will be necessary to combine a complete cycle of vaccination and a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours or antigenic test of 24 hours to attend a CAN match.
As a result, many Cameroonians overcome their reluctance and agree to be vaccinated.
“There is clearly a CAN effect. We have gone from 10 people a day to over 100 since Monday. It is increasing exponentially.”, explains Doctor Lucien Mama, coordinator of the vaccination site of the Sports Palace in Yaoundé, the capital. But for now, only 6% of the population over the age of 18 is doubly vaccinated.
The hunt for false tests is on
But concern hangs over the country of Samuel Eto’o, since false Covid-19 screening tests proliferate in the four corners of the country. Aware of this situation, the president of CAF, Patrice Motsepe, assured that his organization “dealt with these problems”.
⚽️D-2: Sunday January 9, 2022 start of the CAN, African Cup of Nations in Cameroon. In the Covid-19 context, precautions are taken to enter the stadium and the fanzones. pic.twitter.com/5DtSqVE2Kq
— WHO Cameroon (@whocmr) January 7, 2022
“Some spectators think they are using false vaccination certificates to access the stadium but the device with the health pass and the QR Code is robust enough to avoid it”, assures Professor Yap Boum, epidemiologist and head of a research center Epicentre of Médecins Sans Frontière in Yaoundé. At this stage, Cameroon has identified nearly 110,000 contaminations, including 1,851 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
An article to find on: Hello Doctors Africa
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