Euro 2020 crowds driving rise in infections across Europe, WHO warns

Czech Republic fans in the stands during the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match held in Budapest, Hungary. Credit: PA

Crowds in football stadiums, pubs and bars in Euro 2020 host cities are driving the current rise in coronavirus infections in Europe, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.On Thursday, WHO warned that a ten-week decline on the continent had come to an end and a new wave could be sparked if football fans aren't cautious."We need to look much beyond just the stadiums themselves," WHO's senior emergency officer, Catherine Smallwood, told reporters. "We need to look at how people get there, are they travelling in large crowded convoys of buses? And when they leave the stadiums, are they going into crowded bars and pubs to watch the matches?

"It is these small continuous events that are driving the spread of the virus." Meanwhile, UEFA’s medical chief admits it “cannot be excluded” that there will be Covid-19 cases linked to matches at Euro 2020.

Euro 2020 medical adviser Dr Daniel Koch did not refute the link, but said the same applies to any number of gatherings now permitted as restrictions ease across the continent.

He said: “It cannot be totally excluded that events and gatherings could ultimately lead to some local increase in the number of cases, but this would not only apply to football matches, but also to any kind of situations that are now allowed as part of the easing measures decided by the competent local authorities.

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“The intensive vaccination campaigns that have been rolled out across Europe and the border controls will help ensure that no new big wave will start in Europe.”

The day before Dr Koch made these comments, Scottish authorities reported nearly 2,000 coronavirus cases linked to watching Euros games in stadiums, public gatherings, pubs or private homes.

Almost two-thirds of cases reported travelling to London at around the time of the match against England on June 18, with 397 going inside Wembley for the game.

Almost 2,000 Scots became infectious with Covid while at Euro 2020 events, data shows. Credit: PA

Authorities in Denmark also reported 29 infections linked to the three group games staged in Copenhagen. Despite these findings, UEFA has ruled out any alteration to the match schedule or capacity limits for the final stages after criticism from Germany and Italy regarding the games at Wembley. Germany’s interior minister Horst Seehofer said earlier this week it was “irresponsible” to allow almost 42,000 into Wembley for his country’s last-16 match against England, with more than 60,000 set to be permitted to attend the semi-finals and final.

The week before, Italian prime minister Mario Draghi had questioned staging the final matches at Wembley, pointing to the UK’s rapidly rising infection rates, and suggested the last three games be moved to Rome instead.

Credit: PA

UEFA said in a statement: “All the remaining matches of Euro 2020 will go ahead according to the match schedule as planned. “The mitigation measures implemented in each of the Euro 2020 host venues are fully aligned with the regulations set out by the competent local public health authorities. “The final decisions with regards to the number of fans attending matches and the entry requirements to any of the host countries and host stadiums fall under the responsibility of the competent local authorities, and UEFA strictly follows any such measures.”