Thousands of people became infected with coronavirus at the finals of the European Football Championship in Wembley

Fans before the final of the European Football Championship at Wembley

Reuters

There were about 67,000 people at Wembley on July 11 at a match between England and Italy, and the home team lost the title duel after a penalty shootout. “The EURO was an emergency and it is unlikely that we will see a similar impact on the spread of covid-19 at other events,” said Jenifer Smith of the government’s Health Health Agency (PHE). “However, the data show how easily the virus spreads in the event of close contact, and this should be a warning in our efforts to return carefully to normalcy.”

Other events in Britain during the four-month testing period showed far fewer positive tests, roughly in line with the national average. For example, at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Siverstone, there were 350,000 people in three days, and authorities found 585 cases of infection in the event, of which 343 were already infectious at the time of the race. Tennis Wimbledon with 300,000 people in two weeks brought 881 cases.

“We have shown that we can organize mass sports and cultural events safely, but it is important that people remain careful when they come together in a crowded environment. In order to keep the football season, theaters and concerts safe at full capacity this winter, I appeal to sports fans , music and culture to be vaccinated, “said British Culture Minister Oliver Dowden.