The mayor of the Liverpool region, Steve Rotheram , has called for an investigation into the celebration of the Champions League match between Liverpool and Atlético de Madrid, to clarify whether it could be the cause of a large number of local coronavirus cases.

The meeting was held in Anfield on March 11 and of the 52,000 attendees, 3,000 were rojiblancos fans who arrived from Madrid , where confinement due to the pandemic was about to be decreed.

The UK government defended the decision, although 10 days later it began to apply the massive restrictions in the country. But Steve Rotheram has assured the BBC that an independent investigation was needed into a possible connection of that event with the increase in cases in Liverpool. "It would be outrageous if people have contracted the coronavirus as a direct result of a sporting event that we believe should not have taken place," he said.

"That put not only those people in danger, but the front line employees of the NHS (British Health) and other members of their own families who may have contracted it," continued the politician, a member of the Labor Party. 246 people have died of coronavirus in Liverpool hospitals.

"We need to investigate to discover if some of those infections are directly due to Atlético fans. There were hot cities for the spread of coronavirus, and Madrid was one of them," the mayor continued, asking the Boris Johnson government for responsibilities .

The same day of the meeting, Jenny Harries , Deputy Medical Director of England, said that "in general, such events and large meetings are not considered something that will have a great effect", despite the World Health Organization He urged governments to take tougher measures that day.

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  • Madrid
  • Champions League
  • Boris Johnson
  • Atlético de Madrid
  • UK
  • sports
  • Coronavirus

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