Fans will be allowed into Rio for the Copa America final between Brazil vs. Argentina
The city has chosen to admit up to 7,800 people into the stadium, which is 10% of the stadium’s full capacity of 78,000.
Rio de Janeiro, one of the Brazilian cities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, granted the go-ahead on Friday for tens of thousands of fans to attend Saturday’s Copa America final at the Maracana stadium against Argentina.
The city has chosen to admit up to 7,800 people into the stadium, which is 10% of its full capacity of 78,000.
This would be the first match with spectators in the 2021 Copa America, South America’s largest international football competition.
According to a notice published in the official gazette on Friday, the decision was based on the organizers submitting protocols “of operation and accreditation that adopt steps to protect the health of people involved, using appropriate means to prevent infection and the propagation of Covid-19.”
Those who intend to participate must have a coronavirus test that was negative no more than 48 hours before to the event. They will be forced to observe social separation once inside.
The tournament, which was organized by CONMEBOL, the South American football association, began on June 13 in Brasilia despite considerable criticism of the decision to award the tournament to Brazil, which has the second highest Covid-19 death toll behind the United States.
More than 530,000 people have died as a result of the pandemic, with 29,000 of them in Rio alone.
The city’s virus-related mortality rate is 432 per 100,000 people, about double the national level of 252/100,000.
Despite opposition from politicians, citizens, and some players and coaches, Brazil agreed to host the world’s oldest international tournament at the eleventh hour after CONMEBOL took it away from co-hosts Argentina, which is dealing with a pandemic, and Colombia, where dozens have died in anti-government protests.
Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, whose much-criticized handling of the outbreak is the subject of a parliamentary probe, voiced strong support for hosting the event.
The Copa America is taking place at the same time as the Euro Cup, which is being held in 11 different venues with thousands of spectators.
On Sunday, 60,000 people will watch the Euro Cup final at Wembley Stadium, which has a capacity of 90,000.
