By Duane Ford, NABF President

Recent concerns regarding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) have generated much public attention and have caused a significant change in travel, personal interactions and in guidelines prescribed by health officials for how to address the growing concern.

The North American Boxing Federation (NABF) has been carefully monitoring these developments and summoned a telephonic board meeting to discuss the annual 2020 NABF Convention previously scheduled for December 7- 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The board unanimously voted to postpone any decision on holding the NABF Convention in 2020. This said, we will re-evaluate our decision every 30 – 45 days to see how the health risks with travel and group meetings are unfolding. We will keep our membership updated.

These steps are being taken to comply with best practices or direction provided by the public health organizations of various national governments.

We feel that there is wisdom in taking steps to remain healthy during this cold and flu season. These precautions include:

• Regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water or clean them with an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick (this may include avoiding shaking hands or other customary greetings).
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Maintain at least three feet (one meter) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow public health agency recommendations for using a face mask.

We express our appreciation for our members support and understanding through these concerning times.