At least seven people have tested positive for the coronavirus after witnessing European Championship matches in Copenhagen, Danish health authorities reported Thursday.
Authorities urged thousands of fans who attended the game against Belgium on June 17 to undergo a test for the virus after at least five positives were reported for the delta variant.
Health Minister Magnus Heunicke wrote on Twitter Wednesday that about 4,000 people were sitting near the infected.
The other two positives correspond to the game Denmark played against Russia on Monday.
“I ignore the variation, but it was a match where people were sitting very closely,” said Thomas Rydahl, the head of security at the Copenhagen headquarters.
In addition, the Finnish television YLE reported at least 80 infections from people who have returned to the country from Russia in recent days. They would be fans who traveled to Saint Petersburg, where Finland played two Euro 2020 matches.
UEFA said on Thursday that it was “satisfied with the general situation” of the 11 stadiums that host the tournament, spread across the continent, where local authorities are in charge of directing the response on the virus.
“Positive result rates after the Euro 2020 group stage remain quite low,” the governing body said in a statement.
Everyone who attended the three Euro 2020 matches in Copenhagen had to provide valid documentation that they were not infected with COVID-19 to enter the Parken stadium.
A maximum attendance of 25,000 fans was allowed for the game against Belgium, as the country has been relaxing the restrictions.
The head of the Danish Patient Safety Authority said people were infected during the match and without direct contact between them.
“They didn’t develop symptoms until three or four days later, which means there was some unknown source of infection in the section where they were,” Anette Lykke Petri told Danish TV channel DR.
Denmark has reported 247 cases of the delta variant, first detected in India, since April 2. According to the Danish press, the fans who tested positive are Danish.
Copenhagen will host one more match at Euro 2020 on Monday. Spain will face Croatia for the round of 16 in that duel. Denmark, meanwhile, will face Wales in Amsterdam on Saturday.
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