Tanzania this weekend became the first African country to resume a national league suspended during March because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Tanzania suspended the 20-club national championship in mid-March as the COVID-19 outbreak began to wreak havoc throughout Africa.
According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control on June 13, 225,126 people in Africa have been infected with 6,051 deaths.
Spectators were permitted as the league resumed in the east African state, but the elderly, who are generally most vulnerable to the virus, and children were barred. Before being allowed into a stadium, fans must wear a face mask, wash hands with soap or use a hand sanitiser, and have their temperature checked. Once inside, spectators must practice social distancing by sitting or standing several metres apart.
Footballers, referees, coaches and support staff are subject to equally strict measures to combat the virus, and change rooms are fumigated before and after matches. Burundi, a tiny, landlocked country bordering Tanzania, were the only African country to continue playing top-flight football during the pandemic.
Footballers in Belarus, Nicaragua, Taiwan and Tajikistan also carried on playing while the rest of the global football industry shut down temporarily.
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