Omicron variant worries basketball president
Published:Sunday | January 2, 2022 | 12:12 AMHubert Lawrence - Sunday Gleaner Writer
WHEN JAMAICA discovered its first case of the COVID-19 Omicron variant on December 23, it set off an alarm bell for Paulton Gordon, president of the Jamaica Basketball Association (JBA). Gordon is worried that it could not just endanger the nation’s health, but also roll back the gains made by his sport recently.
The association has just staged its first local tournament since the pandemic began in 2020, a 3x3 Development Series at the National Stadium court, and is busy planning for the return of high school basketball early in 2022, but Gordon is concerned.
‘”Yes, I’m certainly worried,” he replied when asked to contemplate the health possibilities if the new variant hits Jamaica.
“We’re in dialogue with ISSA [Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association] and ISSA has basketball as one of the sports for term two. We’re supposed to be revving up planning for that,” he reported.
Tentative period
According to Gordon, his planning team has eased off the gas a little.
“So we’re going through a period of being tentative now, based on what’s happening globally and what will happen when it filters down into a Jamaican context. So that is my concern,” he revealed.
When the first case of the COVID-19 virus landed in Jamaica in March 2020, the resulting lockdowns made it impossible for sport to continue and restrictions have only recently been eased. Only a few sporting associations have been granted permission to resume competition.
Gordon hopes that scenario won’t be repeated. For both health and sporting reasons, he is asking the basketball fraternity and the wider sporting community to embrace anti-COVID protocols.
“Please abide by the protocols as dictated by the Ministry of Health and the authorities. We have to beat this in a collective way,” he beseeched.
The president had a special word for those who haven’t yet been vaccinated.
“I know there are some persons who are, I wouldn’t want to say anti, but hesitant because of the newness of the science, but I’m a clear advocate for vaccination and my firm belief is that unless we have a high percentage of the population vaccinated, then we’ll be going through this cycle for a while,” he submitted.
Jamaica confirmed its first Omicron variant case after a traveller tested positive for COVID-19. According to reports, the person had a short stay in Jamaica and tested positive after returning to the UK.