The association also claimed that the jabs will be used to inoculate players before the Copa America in June and for other regional tournaments later this year.
CONMEBOL, the South American football governing body, has announced that they are expecting 50,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac in the next few weeks.
The first football organization to obtain vaccines for widespread immunization, CONMEBOL are yet to declare the list of players and officials to be vaccinated and have expressed gratitude to Sinovac, who are donating the jabs to boost the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines in the South American region.
“This is a huge step forward to beat the COVID-19 pandemic, but it doesn’t mean that we will in any way relax,”
He then thanked Sinovac “for understanding that soccer is a fundamental activity for the economy, the culture, and the physical and mental health of South Americans.”
CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said in a statement.
Luis Lacalle Pou the Uruguayan President, was involved as a mediator in the deal and “was crucial for the completion of a deal of great importance for South American soccer,” Dominguez added.
South America is experiencing a fresh wave of pandemic, with cases and deaths surging rapidly since the last few weeks. Brazil’s death toll hit a new record on Saturday at 3,124, and a number of leagues and tournaments have been suspended due to the grim situation of the country’s healthcare system.
Furthermore, on Tuesday, the Brazilian football federation confirmed a coronavirus outbreak among the women’s national team – that three players and two coaching staff had tested positive at confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.
“We will keep our work responsibly, which allowed us to finish our tournaments without setbacks and without changing their formats,”
Dominguez answered when quizzed about the fate of the remaining season.
The Copa America will be hosted by Argentina and Colombia and is scheduled to commence from June 13, with the final on July 10 at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez in Barranquilla, Colombia.
