Finnish health officials stated on Thursday that the return of Finnish football fans from Russia after Euro 2020 matches has increased in the country’s daily coronavirus infections. Authorities said roughly 100 infections have been registered at two border crossings since the Finnish national team lost two games in St. Petersburg this month, largely among returning fans.
According to official figures, the daily tally of new cases has grown from roughly 50 to over 100. “These are individuals who have attended the games. Given that Finns have largely interacted with one another but got the virus in just a few days, it has clearly spread surprisingly well there “Reuters spoke with Risto Pietikainen, chief physician for the hospital district that covers the primary crossing site.
Nearly 100 infections have been diagnosed among Finns who visited St. Petersburg, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and the number is expected to rise. “The bulk of people infected with COVID 19 in St. Petersburg were football enthusiasts,” according to Mika Salminen, the health institute’s head of security. The majority of illnesses were discovered in passengers on 15 buses that left the city on June 22 for Finland.
Because of the virus’s extended incubation period and the fact that they were unable to test all incoming fans before the major crossing point closed on Tuesday evening, authorities predict more people to test positive in the coming days.
Finland, on the other hand, is one of the countries that has been least affected by the pandemic. COVID-19 has resulted in 969 deaths and 33 hospitalizations in the 5.5 million-strong country.
