Finland fans applaud fans at the end of the Euro 2020 soccer championship group B match between Finland and Belgium at Saint Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, June 21, 2021.
Finland’s manager Markku Kanerva applauds fans at the end of the Euro 2020 soccer during the Euro 2020 soccer championship group B match between Finland and Belgium at Saint Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, June 21, 2021.
HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish health authorities have detected a spike in coronavirus cases that has been traced to soccer fans returning from neighboring Russia following European Championship matches in St. Petersburg.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare on Saturday urged “all passengers who have traveled from St. Petersburg to Finland by any bus company to apply for a coronavirus test.”
“Any bus or minibus may have been exposed,” the institute said.
Finland played two of its Euro 2020 group games in St. Petersburg, facing Russia on June 16 and Belgium on Monday. At least 2,000 Finns are estimated to have traveled to the city for those matches.
The Finns finished in third place in their group and were eliminated. Russia was also eliminated after finishing last.
St. Petersburg hosted six games in the group stage of the tournament and will host one of the four quarterfinal matches on Friday.
Authorities in the Russian city tightened anti-coronavirus restrictions last week in an effort to curb a spike in new infections. That included closing food courts in the city’s shopping malls and its Euro 2020 fan zone.
The Finnish health institute’s director, Mika Salminen, told public broadcaster YLE that more than 120 virus cases have so far been detected from passengers returning from St. Petersburg, mostly soccer fans, and the number is likely increase.
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