Salah wedding scrutinised after COVID positive
The mayor of Mohamed Salah's home town in Egypt has insisted social distancing was observed at a family wedding the Liverpool forward attended before he tested positive for COVID-19.
The two-time African footballer of the year has been in isolation in Egypt since Friday after the test that was carried out when he joined up with his international team-mates.
Salah had attended his brother Nasr's wedding in the town of Nagrig. Video and photographs reveal him dancing with a mask not properly covering his face and pushed on to his chin at other times, while appearing not to be the required distance from other guests.
The mayor of Nagrig, Maher Shtiyah, told Egyptian media that the number of guests at the ceremony had been limited to between 60 and 70 people and only relatives attended.
"There was social distancing," the mayor said, despite the footage appearing to show otherwise. "Salah removed his mask only while taking photos. Even when we embraced him, we kissed him on his shoulder, not his face.”
Mahmoud Trezeguet of Premier League side Aston Villa, an international team-mate of Salah's, was also at the wedding.
Salah, 28, had also attended a ceremony organised by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) in Cairo to celebrate his achievement of being the first Egyptian to win the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
The interim president of the EFA, Amr El-Ganainy, told MBC Egypt TV on Saturday (AEDT): "He appeared in the ceremony for no more than five minutes, entered a corridor alone, respecting social distancing and wearing a mask.
"He received the award himself ... according to Liverpool's requirements."
The EFA said a second test had confirmed Salah had coronavirus and he was in isolation in the team's hotel but was not showing any symptoms.
Team doctors are in contact with Liverpool's medical team. He is not showing any symptoms of coronavirus.
Salah missed Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo on Sunday (AEDT).
He could also miss Liverpool's next two matches, depriving the English champion of a player who has scored eight times in eight Premier League games this season.