Thousands of people became infected with the coronavirus during the Euro 2020 finals in London, according to figures released by Public Health England on Friday.
Of the tens of thousands of spectators and fans, 2,295 of those who were in or around Wembley Stadium during the semi-finals and finals on July 7 and 11 were said to have been highly infectious at the time, while 3,404 people are said to have become infected.
Fans were required to take a coronavirus test to be allowed entry to Wembley, though the system relied upon them reporting whether the test was negative or not
Chaos erupted at Wembley especially during England's final match against Italy. Thousands of people entered the stadium without tickets and several violent clashes also broke out.
The British government had been criticized for allowing 60,000 spectators into the stadium at the height of a massive wave of coronavirus infections. Following the release of the figures, officials called on the public to stay vigilant and get a jab.
'Ticketless people'
"We've shown that we can reintroduce mass sports and cultural events safely but it is important that people remain cautious when mixing in very crowded settings," said Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.
The Sports Ministry could not say how many people had become infected inside the stadium versus at the fan gatherings outside.
The events "drew significant numbers of ticketless individuals to the area surrounding Wembley Stadium, likely contributing to the increased infections data around these events," read a government statement.
