No fewer than seven athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 at the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin, the Edo state capital.
The Project Manager, Media and Communications, Sub-Committee for the festival, Musa Ebomhiana, who confirmed this on Monday, said the affected athletes have been quarantined at the Stella Obasanjo Isolation Centre in Benin.
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He noted that the affected athletes who are from different states stand disqualified from participating in the sporting festival.
He explained that when compared to the large number of athletes and officials participating in the national festival, the development was a good one.
Musa further disclosed that among the two states earlier disqualified, only Oyo state contingents have been readmitted into the games following the completion of the COVID-19 screening while Taraba is still pending as athletes and officials have to undergo testing.
According to him, 25 states have so far arrived for the games, noting that all is set for the official opening of the games on Tuesday.