In the United Kingdom, where the infection with the new coronavirus is spreading rapidly again, the finals of the Wimbledon Championships for tennis and the European Championships for soccer are being held with a large audience.
More than 35,000 infected people a day
In the United Kingdom, infection with the new mutated coronavirus is spreading rapidly, with more than 35,000 people infected each day.
Against this backdrop, the men's final of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships was held on the 11th, with the center court, which accommodates 15,000 people, almost full, as part of a government investigation into the resumption of a major event.
Audiences visited the venue one after another several hours before the match, and entered after presenting a negative proof of virus test.
You will be required to wear a mask when moving around the venue, but it is not necessary while watching the game.
Visitors said, "I have a negative proof and have been vaccinated, so I have no particular concerns."
"It was a really unusual situation," said Michelle Dite, who runs the tournament. "During the tournament, there were some positives related to the tournament, but there were no clusters and there were no major problems." Said.
On the night of the 11th, the final of the European Football Championship is being held in London with more than 60,000 spectators, and the local England is playing against Italy.
The area around the stadium has been noisy, with English supporters riding on the bus and yelling before the match.
In addition, drunk people are filling the streets around Trafalgar Square in central London, and police are dispatched by throwing beer bottles and climbing statues.
Prime Minister Johnson emphasizes that it can be carried out safely
In the United Kingdom, infection with the Delta strain of the mutant virus confirmed in India spread rapidly, and the number of new infections per day exceeded 35,000 on the 9th, the highest number since late January. I am.
On the other hand, in late January, the death toll continued to exceed 1,000, but recently it has risen to the 20 to 30 range.
In the UK, more than 65% of people over the age of 18 have been vaccinated twice, and the government says that vaccination has prevented the disease from becoming more severe and has reduced the number of deaths and inpatients to some extent.
In addition to professional sports such as soccer and rugby, cultural events such as theater and ballet have been hit economically by the regulations associated with infection control, and people concerned have expressed frustration and anger.
For this reason, the British government has been conducting a fact-finding survey since April to allow a large number of spectators to enter under certain conditions in preparation for the resumption of large-scale events, such as the finals of the Wimbledon Championships in tennis and soccer. The final of the European Championships is part of this.
Audiences entering the venue are required to have one of these proofs, such as a negative virus test or two weeks after vaccination, and they are required to wear a mask when moving around the venue.
Prime Minister Johnson emphasized that this measure would make the event safe, and the government hopes to lead to a full-scale resumption of economic and social activities.
Government response criticism
The Wimbledon Championships for tennis have become a popular feature of early summer in Britain, and the European national sports football championship has advanced to the finals of the local England national team. Voice is not noticeable.
However, regarding the European Championship, about 2000 people, including those who watched the game, have been confirmed to be infected in the UK, and about 300 Finnish supporters who watched the game in Russia have been confirmed to be positive by virus tests after returning to Japan. I will.
Studies such as Imperial College London in the United Kingdom have found that the number of infected people in England has quadrupled in the past month or so, with men appearing to be about 30% more than women.
According to the expert who conducted the survey, "It is a reasonable view that men are in close contact with soccer," and the situation where many people are watching the game while making noise at stadiums and pubs is spreading. It points out that it may be connected to.
Also from abroad, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Chancellor Draghi have expressed concern about having a large audience in the stadium.
Meanwhile, the British government has announced plans to lift almost all restrictions on the 19th of this month, including restrictions on the number of people at meetings and events that have continued in England as an infection control measure and the requirement to wear masks.
For this reason, in the UK, there is more debate over the removal of regulations in the midst of the spread of infection than about holding sporting events with a large audience, and experts are criticizing the government's response one after another.