Vaccinations against the coronavirus are not mandatory for the more than one million fans who will attend the World Cup in Qatar this year, the Gulf state said on Thursday. But players and match officials could be forced into a secure “bio-bubble” if Covid-19 cases rise again, with the threat of eviction from the tournament for those violating the secure environment, the health ministry said. The 29-day tournament will be the first major global sporting event with fans since the December 2019 outbreak of the Covid pandemic, which has since claimed the lives of more than six million people.
Qatari organizers, who have predicted more than a million people will pack Doha for the matches, and the football governing body, FIFA, have said they want the event to be a sign that the world is recovering from the devastating pandemic.
But Qatar’s health ministry warned in its guidelines for the World Cup that special measures would be imposed “in the event of a worsening pandemic situation in the country”, such as the emergence of an imminent new variant.
With Covid-19 considered under control, “there will be no vaccination requirement for participants and visiting spectators,” the ministry said.
All visitors over the age of six must present negative Covid-19 tests before flying to Qatar for the tournament, which starts on November 20.
Fans will be required to wear masks on public transport, but authorities only recommend the use of masks in the eight stadiums in the Doha region where matches are played.
Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 in Qatar will have to be in isolation for five days, the guidelines say.
Bio bubble ready
The organizers and FIFA are most concerned about the first two weeks of the tournament, when four matches a day are scheduled and the peak of supporters from the 32 participating countries will pack stadiums, fan zones and tourist spots.
Some estimates say there could be up to 350,000 fans in Doha at the same time on the weekend of November 26-27.
Officials say Doha’s airport and the city’s roads will face peak pressures that weekend.
Due to the pressure on the accommodation, only fans with tickets will be able to enter Qatar from November 1, although each person with a ticket is allowed to invite three guests.
Every person entering the country is required to download a special fan pass, a Hayya card and Qatar’s anti-covid health application, Ehteraz.
The app must be displayed at the entrance to metro stations and most shopping centers.
“If metro stations and shopping malls want to check the app, people should be prepared for queues,” says a tourism consultant who advises a major hotel chain in Qatar.
Other measures may also be difficult to enforce due to the sheer numbers, experts said.
The ministry recommends a space of one meter (three feet) between diners in cafes and restaurants.
Virtually every team at the World Cup will have players who have refused to be vaccinated, officials acknowledged.
The English Premier League said this year that 15 percent of players had refused vaccines.
Qatar’s health ministry said it would force players, umpires and officials to remain in a safe “bio-bubble” if coronavirus cases rise “to allow for safe operation and continuation of the event”.
Hotel rooms, training facilities and transportation to and from stadiums would all be shut down.
promoted
Violation of the bubble scheme may result in the immediate dismissal of the event violator and removal from the event hotel and property, the ministry said.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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