Euro soccer tournament under fire for helping spread COVID-19

Friday, 2 July 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Scotland fans inside the stadium before the match - Reuters

COPENHAGEN (Reuters): The Euro 2020 soccer tournament was on Thursday blamed for a surge in coronavirus cases as fans have flocked to stadiums, bars and spectator zones across Europe to watch the action while the pandemic still raged.

Germany’s Interior Minister called European soccer’s governing body UEFA “utterly irresponsible” for allowing big crowds at the tournament.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the mixing of crowds in Euro 2020 host cities, travel and easing of social restrictions had driven up the number of new cases by 10%.

A 10-week decline in new infections across Europe had come to an end and a new wave is inevitable if football fans and others drop their guard, WHO Senior Emergency Officer Catherine Smallwood said in Copenhagen.

With COVID-19 restrictions varying from nation to nation, crowd sizes have ranged from completely full, such as 60,000 in Budapest, to 25-45% capacity in other venues where there have often been around 10,000-15,000 spectators.

UEFA said it was fully aligned with local health authorities’ guidelines at every venue.