Nicaragua has had a reported 10 coronavirus cases, with two deaths, as of Tuesday. In light of those numbers, sports events – with spectators – are being held in the Central American country.
An eight-fight boxing card is scheduled for Saturday at the Alexis Arguello Sports Center in Managua, according to ESPN.
The promoter, Ricardo Alvarez, is asking fans to sit a meter apart in the stands and other precautions will be taken.
“Here in Nicaragua there is no quarantine,” Alvarez said. “The government of Nicaragua and the Minister of Health have made a great effort so that the pandemic did not leave a mark on this country.”
He went on: “As an extra precaution, we are going to ask fans to not sit together, that they keep one meter of distance between them. And the commissioners, the doctors, the trainers are obviously going to have to wear masks, latex gloves. We have been lucky that the cases we have had have been few and we all need to work, so we are making this effort.
“As a promoter of boxing, we have the responsibility to provide all the fans who go to the event with the necessary conditions for their safety. We will measure the temperature of the participants, commissioners and fans; there will be alcohol in gel, soap, water. The facilities are suitable for this event and we will prioritize the safety and health of all.”
Nicaragua is one of the few countries allowing such events during the pandemic. Soccer and baseball also have been played in front of crowds, according to ESPN. Belarus and South Korea also has allowed some events to be held.