Business interest needs to not be enabled to bypass efforts to deal with the pandemic

Sports and events are the reverse of social distancing, far from the optimal degree of remoteness needed between individuals and between social groups in the time of a pandemic. As COVID-19 takes hold, spreading first from China to other parts of Asia, and after that to Europe and the Americas, crowds and phenomenon present a real danger to public health and well-being. Runners running full tilt despite overworked limbs and bowlers extending every muscle are all part of sporting tradition that feeds the ‘durability myth’ of professional athletes. Yet, whatever the immunity inherent to sportspersons, it offers no guaranteed security against a sinister infection. What is at stake now goes beyond sport and celebrations. Fans trooping into huge arenas, cheering and switching high-fives, enthusiasts gathering at places of praise, lost to the world in their prayers, shoppers and movie-goers at shopping centers, travellers travelling through air