Copa America will be held with no public – Brazil’s health minister

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In a press conference held on Monday, June 7, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga discussed the Copa America, with the goal of conveying confidence regarding the event, given the stage of the pandemic in Brazil and the protests of the Brazilian National Team players against the event.

During his address, he pointed out that the competition should kick off next Sunday, June 13, and run until July 10, hosted by the cities of Brasilia, Cuiabá, Goiânia, and Rio de Janeiro, totaling 28 matches. The initial estimate is that 650 people will be present in Brazil, including players and technical staff. The games will not have an audience.

“There is no greater risk to athletes than to the general population. Athletes are even more protected, as they are less likely to experience worse outcomes. We asked CBF (Brazilian Football Federation) for some data, and what they sent us was that, in 2020, over 89,000 PCR tests were performed, with over 13,000 athletes tested, of which only 2.2% tested positive. Only one athlete was hospitalized with an excellent outcome,” said Alessandra Siqueira, a member of the Ministry of Health, based on CBF data.

According to the Minister, there will be no obligation to vaccinate athletes or professionals. “There would be no time for full immunization,” he said, pointing out that two doses no less than 28 days apart are required.

“It is not a large championship, assuming that the practice of sports activities is occurring as normal in Brazil. The Ministry of Health analyzed both the Brazilian Championship protocol and the protocol presented by CONMEBOL. And it is up to the government to assess if players are not at risk,” said Queiroga.

The teams will need to hire a private health plan. The negative RT-PCR test, considered more precise, will be mandatory up to 48 hours before each match. Athletes and staff will not be allowed to leave the hotels where they will be staying and all flights between cities will be chartered, to minimize contact with other people who are not part of the competition.

Source: Exame