The contingents of Oyo and Taraba States to the 20th National Sports Festival, tagged Edo 2020, have been disqualified from the sports fiesta for failing to meet the Covid-19 guidelines for the games.
Briefing journalists on Saturday at the screening centre at the Games Village, the Deputy Governor and Local Organising Committee, Comrade Philip Shaibu said the guideline must be strictly adhered to to prevent the outbreak and spread of the Coronavirus at the games.
Comrade Shaibu also confirmed that two athletes tested positive to Covid-19 after the instant PCR test on arrival and have been taken to the Stella Obasanjo Hospital Isolation Centre.
“The contingents of Oyo and Taraba stand disqualified from the 20th National Sports Festival unless the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 gives a counter directive as both states fail to meet the Covid-19 guidelines of the games”, the Edo deputy governor said.
“We have to be strict with the guidelines so as not to use the games as an avenue to spread Covid-19 in the state which has already been flattened. Even if the PTF gives approval for both states to be admitted, the teams have to go through strict Covid-19 screening and testing before they will be allowed into camp”, Shaibu emphasised.
Meanwhile, 13 states have been screened as at press time.