New China virus: Matildas to play at the site of deadly outbreak
In less than a week the Matildas are due to fly into the Chinese city where a rapidly spreading deadly virus has already killed six people, and the decision to go is largely out of their hands.
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Matildas boss Ante Milicic is determined to keep his players’ focus on their Olympic qualifying hopes, despite growing concerns over the rapid spread of a deadly and mysterious virus centred on the Chinese city where they will play.
Milicic’s side are due to kick off their Olympic qualifying campaign in 13 days’ time in the city of Wuhan, despite the spread of a so-called coronavirus that world health chiefs are poised to declare as an international emergency.
So far six people have died and more than 200 have been infected but Chinese football bosses reportedly have no plans to move the Olympic qualifying games due to be staged in the city at the heart of the outbreak.
Australian health authorities are screening flights from the area to Sydney, while a Brisbane man was quarantined in Australia on Tuesday after a trip to China.
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Milicic said he had “full confidence in the people that will be making these decisions”, and added: “We're just really trying to focus on the football and trust that the appropriate steps have been put in place.
“Those things are out of our control in many respects because decisions will be made based on the safety of the playing group and all the staff, so we just focus on what we can do.”
The mystery virus emerged in the city of Wuhan last month, where the Asian Football Confederation is about to play the qualifiers for the 2020 Olympic women’s football tournament.
Officials from Football Federation Australia have been in constant contact with Australian diplomats in China since the outbreak of the disease, which has been linked to the SARS virus that killed 750 people across the world in 2003.
But China’s state-run Xinhua news agency quoted a source at the Chinese Football Association as saying there were currently no plans to move the games.
"They're going to be monitoring it and I'm sure that if it does get to that point then obviously life comes first, but if we're over there and we're safe, then it's obviously all about football," said Matildas vice-captain Steph Catley.
The new epidemic is a unique strain that originally was believed to have emerged in a seafood market in Wuhan. It has been identified as a coronavirus, one that is communicated from animals to humans, but after recent cases it has now been confirmed by Chinese health officials as moving between humans.
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The outbreak has spread to countries beyond China, while in Wuhan itself, temperature-checking machines have been set up around the city for residents to test themselves for feverish symptoms.
Headed by Kerr, who opened her goalscoring account for new team Chelsea at the weekend, the Matildas are due to play Chinese Taipei on February 3, Thailand three days later, and China on February 9, all at the Five Rings Sports Centre in Wuhan.
The team will have its own chef and a beefed-up security presence, but is likely to have rely at least in part on local produce.
FFA and the players’ association have been approached for comment.
Originally published as New China virus: Matildas to play at the site of deadly outbreak