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The Brazilian top court is green despite the fears of Copa America COVID football news

The Brazilian Supreme Court has ruled that the country could host the Copa del Rey despite a coronavirus pandemic, paving the way for three difficult football tournaments in three days.

In an extraordinary virtual session on Thursday, a majority of 11 high court judges ruled against the plaintiffs who argued that South American tournaments posed an unacceptable health risk.

Several judges, however, ordered the government to take additional security measures.

“(State governors and mayors) are responsible for establishing appropriate health protocols and ensuring that they are respected to prevent‘ Copavirus ’from appearing with new infections and new variants,” Judge Carmen Lucia wrote in her ruling.

The three cases before the court were the last moment for the organizers, and perhaps the last, for the organizers, despite the obstacles, as they appeared with the intention of advancing this edition of the oldest international football tournament.

Already delayed by a year due to the pandemic, the America’s Cup was almost disbanded when the original hosts from Colombia and Argentina fell at the last minute. cases.

Along with the start of this Sunday’s match, Brazil entered last week as an emergency host for the 10-country tournament.

But the decision is hugely controversial: Brazil is also fighting COVID-19, which has killed nearly 480,000 people in the country, second only to the U.S..

Increasing COVID

Far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who has periodically challenged the advice of experts to contain the pandemic, gave his blessing to organize the tournament.

He welcomed the court’s decision and announced that Brazil would “massacre” Brazil in the opening match.

But epidemiologists have warned that Brazil now has a new case, and say organizing a major international sporting event could exacerbate the health crisis.

“The madness of trying to make an event of this size here cannot be described,” Jose David Urbaez, an infectious disease specialist, told AFP.

The Supreme Court’s petitions were filed by the National Union of Metal Workers, the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s Workers ’Party (PT), Bolsonaro’s likely opponent in next year’s presidential election.

They argued that the tournament was in danger of exacerbating the health crisis and would “violate fundamental rights to life and health”.

Bolsonaro and the South American football confederation, CONMEBOL, have stressed that the tournament will be safe.

Brazilian authorities have demanded that the match be played without fans, including the final on July 10 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Teams will take the mandatory COVID-19 test every 48 hours. Movements will be limited, and they will attend matches in four host cities on charter flights.

However, the health ministry withdrew on Monday from all requirements for all players, coaches and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said it was too late to guarantee immunity, and that post-vaccine side effects could “jeopardize players’ performance”.

The organizers have a lot of reactions. Two main sponsors, Mastercard and beer giant Ambev, said on Wednesday they were pulling their marks out of the tournament. A third, the alcoholic beverage company Diageo, continued on Thursday.

Many players and coaches have criticized the event, including Uruguayan Luis Suarez, Argentine Sergio “Kun” Aguero and the entire Brazilian national team.

Neymar and the team – as well as the Brazilian coach, Tite – were caught unawares by the news that his country would receive, and it was rumored that they would boycott.

In the end they stopped that, but the criticism of CONMEBOL was vague.

“We are against organizing the America’s Cup,” they said in a joint statement Tuesday.




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