The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, expressed his concern about the number of spectators who can attend semi-finals and final of the European Championship in the United Kingdom, where infections by the variant Delta of the coronavirus are shooting up.
According to him british government, for the semi-finals and the final of the Eurocup will be allowed more than 60,000 spectators in the stands at Wembley Stadium, instead of 40,000 initially planned, in this stadium with a maximum capacity of 90,000.
Merkel, who was received by the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, at her Checkers field residence, stated in a joint press conference that she is “very concerned” that the expected number of viewers “is not a little too tall“.
“In Germany we have decided that a fewer viewers I could attend the games at the stadium MunichBut of course the British government makes its own decisions, “said Merkel, who made her last trip to the UK on Friday before leaving office after the September legislative elections in Germany.
Johnson highlighted the “immunity wall“built by the United Kingdom thanks to its vaccination program, in which the 63% of adults have already received two doses.
The voice of the German chancellor adds to the concerns recently expressed by the president of the Italian council, Mario draghi, and the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas.
In the sports plane, Merkel, a great soccer fan, considered that England’s victory over Germany was “deserved“and wished the English team”good luck“for the rest of the competition.
After asking so far that the European Union jointly impose a quarantine to travelers coming from UK due to the rise of the variant DeltaMerkel seemed for the first time to soften her stance.
“We hope that in the near future those who have received two doses of the vaccine they can travel again without having to go through quarantine, “he said.
On the occasion of her visit to the United Kingdom, the twenty-second since taking office in 2005, the German Chancellor addressed the British cabinet by videoconference, being the first leader to do so since US President Bill Clinton in 1997.
In honor of Merkel, a scientist by training, Johnson announced the creation of an award for a woman residing in the United Kingdom or Germany who has excelled in the field of astrophysics.
The award, which will be awarded annually and will be endowed with 10,000 pounds (13,800 dollars, 11,600 euros), will bear the name of Caroline herschel, a German-born British astrophysicist who was a pioneer in this field.
Merkel was to end her visit by meeting with the Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, about 50 kilometers west of London.
AFP