China bans major sporting events fearing second wave of coronavirus

China has reportedly banned the prominent sporting and other events that might attract huge assembly of the crowd until further notice over fears about the second wave of the pandemic outbreak within the country, China’s National Sports Bureau told the state press. The directive was issued late on April 1, which prohibited the public gathering of any nature to suppress new cases of infections in the People’s Republic mostly imported by the foreign nationals. 

A letter dispatched to the sporting bodies across China by the National bureau revealed that Xi Jinping’s government had issued strict guidelines to avoid mass participation in any events that could trigger the second wave of the COVID-19 disease. As many as 877,574 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have emerged worldwide, and over 43,569 have been declared dead due to the coronavirus according to a tally. China, however, has been able to contain the virus bringing the infection in the mainland to zero, as per media reports. It announced a significant ban on foreign nationals entering the country and sealed its borders to other nations. Xi discouraged the 11 million Chinese diasporas for returning home and appealed to them to stay quarantined in the respective countries they were, media outlets reported. 

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Foreign nationals consequent threat

According to the statement issued to the sporting bodies across the country, the events such as marathons and sports were directed to be cancelled with immediate effect to curb the rebound of the domestic infections in the mainland. It read that it was the duty of the authorities to “stop the virus” imported on the borders. It further added saying that the protocol aimed at restricting the influx of people from outside, who are a consequent threat to coronavirus prevention. The events shall not be resumed, the statement stressed. The government suggested organizing the sports online, saying that the sports committees will be updated about the further developments by the National Sports Bureau, as per the media report. The popular World Indoor Athletic Championships held in Nanjing have been postponed until next year. 

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