Wembley prepares to welcome 60,000 fans amid COVID-19 fears

Since June 11, the postponed 2020 European Championship has doggedly persevered through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Teams and fans have traveled the length and breadth of Europe, from Sevilla to St. Petersburg, Rome to Baku, Amsterdam to Bucharest.

Now, as the tournament reaches its climax, all roads lead to London. Though the United Kingdom has the highest COVID-19 death toll in western Europe, with more than 128,000, and currently records upwards of 27,000 new cases per day — many of which involve the delta variant — Wembley Stadium is set to welcome 65,000 fans per match for the semifinals (July 6-7) and final (July 11).

The increase is the result of a deal between UEFA and the UK government after European football's governing body threatened to hand the three showcase games to Budapest if local authorities couldn't guarantee a higher attendance limit.

Merkel 'skeptical'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is "skeptical." Her interior minister, Horst Seehofer, has called it "irresponsible." Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi wanted to move the final to "a country where new coronavirus infections are not on the rise," suggesting the Italian capital, Rome.

Indeed, with foreign fans unable to travel to the UK because of strict quarantine regulations, Italy head coach Roberto Mancini believes that it is "very unfair" that his team will have to play their semifinal against Spain in front of a predominantly British crowd.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted in talks with Merkel recently that UK sporting events were being opened up in a "very careful and controlled manner."

This week, he went further, announcing that the UK would revoke coronavirus regulations, including mandatory social distancing and the wearing of masks, and all limits on sports events, from July 19.

Euro 2020 stadiums: Theory vs. reality

UEFA insists that hygiene precautions have been in place at all times in accordance with guidelines from local health authorities in the host cities.

Stadium capacities, with the exception of Budapest, have been limited and entry restricted to people with proof of vaccination, negative tests or recovery from COVID-19. Inside, fans have been encouraged to maintain social distancing, use hand sanitizer and wear masks.

That's the theory. In reality, football supporters have gathered close together and celebrated wildly, falling into each other's arms, with few wearing masks. And beyond the stadium limits, they have traveled together on packed trains and buses, and gathered in busy pubs and town squares across the continent.

The results so far? Health authorities in Scotland have reported that a total of 1,991 cases of COVID-19 were linked to Scottish fans traveling to London for their team's goalless draw with England. Finnish authorities say that at least 300 fans picked up COVID-19 while supporting their team at two matches in St. Petersburg. In Copenhagen, Danish authorities urged thousands of people to get checked after at least seven fans attending games in the city tested positive.

UEFA 'satisfied'

UEFA insists that it is "satisfied with the overall situation" across the 11 host cities, reporting after the group stage that "overall rates of positive results are still marginally low."

The World Health Organization (WHO), on the other hand, has said that Euro 2020 is responsible for a 10% rise in new cases across the continent. Senior emergency officer Catherine Smallwood has warned that a new wave is inevitable unless restrictions were placed on fans.

"We need to look much beyond just the stadiums themselves," she said. "We need to look at how people get there, are they traveling in large-crowded convoys of buses? And, when they leave the stadiums, are they going into crowded bars and pubs to watch the matches?"