UK’s Euro 2020 final spurred thousands of COVID-19 cases: officials

The Euro 2020 soccer championship final spurred thousands of potential COVID-19 cases, government data released by Public Health England showed.

Public Health England and the National Health Service Test and Trace data say the final championship match ended with 3,404 people potentially contracting the virus at the sporting event.

The government agencies estimate 2,295 people showed up to the game with the coronavirus infection. 

The data was part of a larger trend to show mass events can be held safely if the right precautions are taking, with the Euro 2020 match noted as the exception.

“EURO 2020 was a unique occasion and it is unlikely we would see a similar impact on COVID-19 cases from future events,” Director for Public Health England Jenifer Smith said.

Smith encouraged anyone with symptoms not to attend sporting events. She also promoted getting vaccinated and masking.

The British Grand Prix, which hosted 350,000 attendees, only saw 585 cases recorded after the event.

The Wimbledon Championships with 300,000 attendees saw 881 COVID-19 cases traced to the event.

“We’ve shown that we can reintroduce mass sports and cultural events safely but it is important that people remain cautious when mixing in very crowded settings,” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden stated.