British Wimbledon Championship opens for the first time in 2 years Countermeasures by spreading mutant virus

The Wimbledon Championships for tennis have begun for the first time in two years as the infection of the new mutated coronavirus spreads in the United Kingdom.

The event will be held after taking measures against infection, such as asking the audience to show a negative proof of virus test.

The Wimbledon Championship was not held last year due to the spread of infection, and this time it will be held for the first time in two years.

Tickets are sold online only as an infection control measure, and spectators are required to show a negative virus test at the entrance and proof that it has been two weeks since the vaccine was given twice.

The tournament is visited by more than 40,000 people a day every year, but the number of spectators this time is limited to 50% of the capacity at the beginning.

At the venue, the famous "strawberry cream" and alcohol were also sold, and the first day was crowded with many people.

In popular games, spectators were seated in front seats near the court, and some people were not wearing masks, which they were required to wear when walking around the venue.

Michelle Dite, who is in charge of running the tournament, said, "It was really hard until we got to the event. It was two weeks ago that we continued discussions with the government and finally decided on the capacity. I will continue. "

The final, which will be held on the 10th and 11th of next month, will be fully booked at the center court, which has a capacity of about 15,000, as part of the government's investigation into a large-scale event. An analysis will be conducted to see if it is effective.

Mutant virus infection spreads rapidly Measures are also taken at the competition

In the United Kingdom, the infection of the Delta strain of the mutant virus confirmed in India is spreading rapidly, and various measures are being taken at the time of the event.

First of all, at the beginning of the tournament, the maximum number of spectators is 50% of the capacity.

After that, as part of the government's investigation, the upper limit will be gradually raised, and the final will be held with a full audience in the center court with a capacity of about 15,000 people.

As for the ticket sales method, it was familiar to many fans to ask for a ticket on the day of the event and stay in a tent from the night before, but all of this was sold online.

Audiences are required to have a negative proof of a simple test for the new coronavirus or proof that they have been vaccinated twice at least two weeks ago.

Also, you must wear a mask when walking in the venue, but you can remove it when sitting in the audience seats.

On the other hand, participating athletes are not allowed to go out except to stay at a designated hotel in London and make a round trip to and from the venue, and are not allowed to use public transportation.

Audience admission will be possible at large-scale outdoor events from May

In the UK, as part of infection control, watching sports with a large number of spectators has not been allowed, but from last month, outdoor events held at large venues such as soccer stadiums have been held. Audiences are now allowed to enter up to 10,000 people.

The British government has been conducting a fact-finding survey for the resumption of large-scale events since April, and in the first stage until last month, it targeted nine events such as soccer games and indoor and outdoor concerts. Did.

The survey required spectators to present a negative proof of the new coronavirus test upon admission.

As a result, they participated in nine events, including the FA Cup final, which decides the number one club team in Japan for soccer with about 18,000 spectators, an outdoor concert with 5,900 people, and a nightclub rally. Of the approximately 58,000 people in total, 28 were confirmed to be positive, and no clusters occurred.

However, during this period, the infection situation in the UK was improving, and only about 30% of the respondents reported the results of virus tests conducted after the event, making accurate analysis difficult.

The second stage of the survey covers the finals of the Wimbledon Championships in tennis and the semi-finals and finals of the European Championships in soccer. You will need proof that you have been vaccinated twice.