Paris (AFP)
Euro football enters its home stretch, but the tournament is not done with the threat of Covid and could even act, according to experts, as a propagator in Europe of the Delta variant with its matches in London and St. Petersburg.
"If we want to seed Europe with this Delta variant, we would not go about it otherwise", thunders epidemiologist Antoine Flahault who pleads for a relocation of the matches planned at the Krestovski stadium in Saint Petersburg and at the legendary Wembley stadium. .
"It is total nonsense to send supporters to places at very high risk, when it would not have been very difficult to consider moving these matches which take place in cities of countries at risk to cities in countries with lower risk, "he told AFP.
"Today, Bucharest, Budapest and Copenhagen are not at all risky places," said Prof. Flahault, director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Geneva.
The epidemiologist will probably not be heard: contacted by AFP, UEFA, organizer of this Euro which left in eleven cities and eleven countries, indicated via a spokesperson that "the matches of the Euro remaining to be played will have take place as planned according to the initial program ".
The Switzerland-Spain quarter-final will therefore take place on Friday in Saint Petersburg, while Russia beat its record for Covid contamination on Thursday for the third consecutive day due to the Delta variant, which is more contagious.
- Scottish and Finnish supporters infected -
Ditto for the semi-finals of July 6 and 7 and the final of July 11: they remain scheduled in London, the capital of Great Britain which is experiencing a rebound in contaminations also linked to the Delta variant.
# photo1
The World Health Organization (WHO), however, sounded the alarm on Thursday, urging the host cities of the last Euro matches to ensure better monitoring of the movement of spectators, including before their arrival and after leaving the stadium.
"We need to look well beyond the stadiums themselves," Catherine Smallwood, a head of the European branch of the WHO, stressed during a press briefing.
Asked about the risk that the Euro has played or plays the role of "super-contaminant", the director of WHO Europe Hans Kluge remained vague: "I hope not, but I cannot exclude it".
# photo2
Since the kickoff of the Euro, on June 11, several hundred cases have been detected, in players, especially Slovaks who have passed through Saint Petersburg, and supporters, in particular Scots returning from London, Finns returning from the second largest city in Russia or spectators in the Copenhagen stadium who were found to be carriers of the Delta variant.
- "No major new wave" -
UEFA concedes half-heartedly that its Euro could have an impact, but ruled out the risk of a "major new wave".
"It cannot be completely ruled out that events and gatherings may lead locally to an increase in the number of cases, but this would not only apply to football matches, but also to all the situations which are now permitted under the relaxation of restrictions decided by the competent local authorities, "said Daniel Koch, UEFA medical adviser, for AFP.
"The intensive vaccination campaigns taking place across Europe and border controls will help ensure that there is not a major new wave in Europe," he adds.
Should you then support your favorite team in St. Petersburg or Wembley?
"My advice would be not to go there without being vaccinated," recommends epidemiologist Antoine Flahault.
# photo3
And to avoid, more than the stadiums, bars, restaurants and public transport.
"Vaccinated people take little risk. You should also know that closed environments, not very well ventilated, are the most at risk, it is better to wear a mask and avoid these places, stay there as little as possible, even when you are is vaccinated ".
© 2021 AFP