A World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist said she was devastated to see crowds of masked fans singing and shouting in the final match of the Euro 2020 European Football Championship in London yesterday, expressing concern that it would cause the spread of COVID-19, including the Delta strain.
Britain is facing a new wave COVID-19 due to the more contagious strain despite having one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. It plans to lift most of the remaining restrictions on the coronavirus on July 19, in a move that worries some scientists.
In an unusually straightforward tone from the UN Health Organization, which often refrains from commenting on the policies of individual Member States, the head of the COVID-19 Maria Van Kerkov described the spectacle of more than 60.000 spectators in the Italy-England match as "disastrous".
"Am I supposed to be happy to see the broadcast in front of my eyes?" She wrote in a post in the final stages of the match.
"The # COVID19 pandemic does not take a break today… The # SARSCoV2 #DeltaVariant variant strain will exploit the unvaccinated, in gatherings, without masks, with screams / voices / songs. Catastrophic. "
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the decision this month to allow more than 60.000 people to watch the final, saying it was being conducted "in a careful and controlled manner with a test for everyone who goes there". He said the vaccines had created a "remarkable wall of immunity".
Worldwide, its incidence rates COVID-19 they increase. There were more than 2,6 million new cases last week, with Europe recording a significant increase of 30%, the WHO said in its latest epidemiological update.
More than 4 million people have lost their lives since the beginning of the pandemic.
WHO Emergency Management Team leader Michael Ryan also called on countries last week to be especially vigilant in lifting its restrictions. COVID-19 in order not to "lose the profits they have made".
Source: Cnn.gr