It remains to be seen whether the Copa América will start next Sunday. According to South American media, Luiz Fux, president of Brazil’s Supreme Court, has scheduled an extraordinary hearing on Thursday to discuss whether or not the Copa América will go ahead in Brazil. The case will be fully heard as there are two charges against Brazil as the organizing country. The members of the court then have 24 hours to pronounce themselves, so that the verdict must be known on Friday. The first game is scheduled for that day.
The decision to hold the tournament in Brazil this year was not without controversy. Previously, the Copa América was kept out of Colombia due to a public order disturbance and could also not take place in Argentina, where the corona virus is prevalent. Posts are doing the rounds on social media with the hashtag #NaoVaiterCopa (freely translated: There will be no Copa). Brazil is also still struggling with the necessary problems to get the corona virus under control. Critics wonder how Brazil is a better alternative than Argentina to host the tournament.
Brazil’s health minister, Marcelo Queiroga, confirmed on Monday that players from the ten participating countries are not required to be vaccinated, contrary to what his government had initially requested. “Getting vaccinated is no longer an obligation,” he said at a press conference in Brasilia, one of the host cities. “Those who have been vaccinated are better protected, but there will be no attempt to vaccinate everyone. Also because the vaccine can cause a reaction, and that could jeopardize the game rhythm of the players.”
Queiroga detailed health protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus during the tournament. That the government of President Jair Bolsonaro agreed to host the tournament in Brazil as a replacement for Argentina is a decision that is highly questioned by experts in South America. After the United States, Brazil is currently the country where the most people have died as a result of the corona virus (more than 476,000).
In the meantime, all kinds of measures have been announced to be able to guarantee hygiene to some extent, reports ESPN. CONMEBOL released a document on Tuesday detailing the protocol and any sanctions. For example, the exchange of shirts is prohibited, everyone must undergo a temperature measurement and it is also not allowed to kiss the ball. In addition, players and umpires must use their own personal water bottle. Failure to comply with the protocols can result in a fine of at least 25,000 euros.
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