Euro 2020 games at Wembley ‘could fuel fresh spike in Covid’

Euro 2020 fans are using fake Covid tests to get into Wembley, a steward revealed today amid fears crowds of 60,000 packing stands and millions more in pubs will fuel a fresh spike in infections. 

The Wembley steward today said it is ‘common knowledge’ among people working at the stadium that fans will turn up with tests results taken by their friends and there is no way for security to verify them. 

It comes as ministers warned there are ‘no guarantees’ that huge crowds will not spark outbreaks with Cabinet members anxious about fans packing on to public transport.

More than 60,000 fans will be able to attend England’s semi-final match against Denmark tonight, as well as the final on Sunday, with Wembley allowed to have 75 per cent capacity.

The social distancing rules tell fans to stay in their seat during games, maintain their distance from others where possible and wear face masks when not seated. They also encourage those at games to avoid hugging and high fives during games but thousands ignored the guidelines during Italy’s semi-final victory against Spain last night. 

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng insisted the potential problems can be ‘managed’ ahead of the crucial match. 

But some ministers are understood to be concerned that matches at the London stadium could be fuelling sharp rises in cases. One Cabinet source told MailOnline that it was ‘fair’ to say nerves are jangling. ‘As we continue the greater likelihood these things are going to happen,’ they said. 

Senior Government figures are concerned about fans breaching social distancing when travelling to matches on public transport.

And a spokesperson for the World Health Organization warned mass events, including football matches, could be ‘risky’ in terms of coronavirus spread.

Experts have already blamed the recent surge in Covid cases in Scotland on young men meeting up to watch Euro 2020 games.

Despite the worries, there are rumours Health Secretary Sajid Javid is planning to attend the game this evening.  

Richard, a steward at Wembley who comes from Oxford, told LBC there was no way for him or others to verify tests being shown by fans at the gates were actually taken by them.

He said: ‘To give you a rundown of the process, the first line of stewards have six seconds roughly with each fan coming through the gate.

‘We’re expecting to see either a vaccine double jab or we’re expecting to see a rapid lateral flow test that has been taken in the last 48 hours.

‘Now it’s common knowledge among the fans — especially the drunk fans who don’t prepare themselves for coming to the game — that there are screenshots going on and people are sending each other’s tests to one another. 

‘We’re not there to check ID. There’s no way to check that test actually belongs to a fan.

‘So a large proportion of fans are coming into the game and they haven’t performed a test. One, because of how uncomfortable the tests are anyway, and two, because no one will risk missing a game.’

Earlier, Mr Kwarteng admitted he could guarantee there would not be an outbreak of cases at the game.

He said: ‘I think we can manage this risk but to say there is no risk, if you have thousands of people in one place. There’s always risk in life.

‘I think we’re managing the risk. I’m confident there won’t be a big outbreak but we can’t guarantee that now.’

Official figures from Scotland showed there were nearly 1,300 Covid cases linked to fans travelling to London for Euro-related events as the nation faced England in the group stages.

That included 397 people who attended the clash in Wembley on June 18, according to Public Health Scotland.

Ministers are concerned about fans breaching social distancing when travelling to matches on public transport, according to The Times.

Other worries include low numbers wearing masks once in the stadium and checks of testing and vaccination status being insufficient. 

World Health Organisation spokeswoman Margaret Harris said that mass events, including football matches, continue to present risks for transmission and urged fans to be cautious.

She told Sky News: ‘It is risky. We’re not out of the woods by any stage. 

‘We know there are large rises in the numbers of cases, that means you are [more] likely to be exposed to somebody who unknowingly is carrying the virus.

‘Whether you’re vaccinated or not you still can get infected, you still can get a breakthrough infection.’ 

She added: ‘It’s hard when you’re having such a great time, but be serious about your own risk because it’s not just a risk to you – you may bring it back to somebody in your family who is yet to be vaccinated, who may develop the severe disease.

‘So we still have to behave knowing that there is a large amount of virus out there, we haven’t beaten this by any means.’

‘We are tribal creatures, we’re herd animals, we love to be together, we love to do stuff together and it is part of a release of a lot of that tension and stress and anxiety.

‘We at WHO are not against mass gatherings at all, but we do say when you’re in a mass gathering you must take your risk seriously, you must understand what they are and mitigate them.’

Her comments come after Professor Jason Leitch, the Scottish Government’s national clinical director, said young men meeting up for Euro 2020 games was partially to blame for the recent surge in cases in Scotland.

Six of the ten areas worst-hit by Covid in Europe are currently in Scotland, according to World Health Organization data. 

He said the surge in cases may also have been partly fuelled by large gatherings during games, with Scotland playing in its first national football competition since 1998.

Professor Leitch said: ‘Scotland being out [of the Euros] is a very, very unfortunate from a sporting perspective, but probably better from a Covid perspective.’