Fans attending UEFA Euro 2020 matches in Romania will be required to present proof of their COVID-19 status before entry.
The Romanian Football Association (FRF) has issued a series of rules for spectators visiting Bucharest’s National Arena for the four games it is staging. After proving their status, all fans above three years old can only enter the stadium with both a valid match ticket and a wristband provided by organisers that confirms they are vaccinated or have tested negative.
Romanian officials have identified four categories of people who will be allowed to attend, which is led by those who provide proof of a full SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, completed a minimum of 10 days earlier.
Others allowed entry include those showing proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of kick-off and those who can show proof of a previous COVID-19 infection. The final group is those showing a negative rapid antigen test that has been carried out at most 24 hours before the start of the match.
While all Euro 2020 venues across Europe have rules regarding social distancing and the wearing of masks, only Bucharest and Amsterdam have outlined plans to require spectators to prove their COVID status, while St Petersburg requires a body temperature check.
In a statement, FRF outlined how ticket-holders must visit one of the Euro 2020 accredited medical centres in Bucharest to provide documentation or take a test in the hours leading up to the match. Once they have proved they are vaccinated or have tested negative, the ticket holder will receive an access bracelet from a volunteer.
Officials warned that once removed from the hand, the wristband destroys itself and is no longer valid for access to the stadium.
“Access is based on the ticket and the bracelet,” an FRF spokesperson said in a statement. “Just one of these elements is not enough. The spectator must also have the identity card with which he reserved his ticket.
“Access bracelets are different from match to match. They have safety and inscription elements specific to each match. Ticket holders must go through the procedure of obtaining the access bracelet for each match, if they have tickets for several matches in Bucharest. No bracelets are released at the same time for several matches.”
Across the Euro 2020 host venues, fans have been allocated 30-minute time slots to arrive and told to keep a distance of at least 1.5m from other fans.
Fans are advised: “Don’t shake hands. Avoid hugs, high-fives and any close contact with others.”
Image: Mihai Petre / This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license / Cropped to size
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