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. 2022 Mar 3:150:1-18.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268822000449. Online ahead of print.

Results of the enhanced COVID-19 surveillance during UEFA EURO 2020 in Germany

Helena Heese  1 , Adine Marquis  1 , Michaela Diercke  1 , Inessa Markus  1 , Stefanie Böhm  2 , Jasmin Metz  2 , Katharina Katz  2 , Manfred Wildner  2 , Bernhard Liebl  2
Affiliations

Results of the enhanced COVID-19 surveillance during UEFA EURO 2020 in Germany

Helena Heese et al. Epidemiol Infect. .

Abstract

In general, mass gatherings might pose a risk to the public health (PH). The UEFA EURO 2020 tournament (EURO 2020) was one of the first mass gathering events since the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Germany. To allow early detection and response to any EURO 2020-associated impact on the COVID-19-related epidemiological situation, we initiated enhanced surveillance activities using the routine surveillance system in collaboration with the regional PH authority of Bavaria. Several preventive measures regarding the attendance of football matches and public viewing were implemented according to state regulations. We describe the results from the enhanced surveillance during the EURO 2020. In total, five cases who had attended a football match in the stadium of Munich, nine cases, who attended a football match in a stadium outside of Germany, and 123 cases in association with public viewing events were identified by enhanced surveillance. Concluding, the EURO 2020 seems to not have had a major impact on the COVID-19 pandemic development in Germany. Health measures for stadium visitors and the restriction of large public viewing events may have potentially contributed to the low case numbers detected, emphasising the need of appropriate PH surveillance and regulations to limit the potential risk to PH during mass gathering events.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Ways of mandatory notification and transmission within the German surveillance system for infectious diseases.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Daily COVID-19 case numbers in Germany and proportion of cases indicating Munich as place of exposure, 7/6/2021–25/7/2021.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
COVID-19 7-day incidence/100 000 inhabitants in Munich, Bavaria, Germany from 24 May 2021 to 25 July 2021.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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