My Take | There must be a middle way between the virus extremes

Britain’s plan to lift almost all Covid-19 restrictions has attracted criticism. In contrast, Hong Kong has been turned into a fortress in a bid to achieve the ‘zero case’ target

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England fans at Wembley Stadium in London for the semi-final against Denmark. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 11:24pm, 10 Jul 2021Updated: 1:47pm, 11 Jul 2021

The staging of international sports events during the pandemic has sparked superspreader concerns, but there is no doubting the joy they have brought to fans around the world.

Football supporters in Hong Kong will be up at 3am tomorrow to watch, bleary-eyed, the climax of the Euro 2020 championships, which has seen 24 national teams compete in 11 European cities over the last month.

The final between England and Italy is eagerly anticipated. In England, the team’s achievement in reaching a major final for the first time since 1966 transcends sport. The heroic failures of the past 55 years have become part of the national consciousness. The excitement is felt no less in Italy, a nation with a proud footballing heritage.

There will be more than 60,000 fans at London’s Wembley Stadium for the match. Spectators have been allowed into venues throughout the tournament, to varying degrees. Those at Wembley are required to either be vaccinated or tested. However, the scenes of tightly packed supporters enthusiastically singing and hugging with barely a mask in sight comes as a shock to Asian viewers. Then there are the garden parties, the pubs, the fan zones and celebrations. So much for social distancing.

The climax of the tournament comes at a time when Britain is facing a surge in Covid-19 cases driven by the more easily transmissible Delta variant. Daily cases have risen to more than 30,000. It is roughly the equivalent, taking population size into account, of Hong Kong having 3,000 cases a day.

But the relatively relaxed approach in Britain is just a foretaste of what is to come. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning “freedom day” on July 19, when almost all Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted. Even the wearing of masks will be a personal choice.