South Korea to gradually allow fans into stadiums
South Korea said yesterday it will begin allowing limited numbers of spectators at sports games.
"We will take phased measures including allowing spectators at sports events," said health minister Park Neung Hoo.
Details will be discussed this week, Yonhap news agency reported, and the Korea Baseball Organisation is preparing to fill around 30 per cent of stands at its games.
The move comes despite alarm over a second wave of infections in recent weeks, with the South seeing around 35 to 50 new cases a day, mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area where half of the population lives.
Officials reimposed some social distancing measures in late May following fresh clusters in and near Seoul, and most cases reported in the past week have been domestic infections.
Over in Brazil, which has the second-highest number of infections and deaths from Covid-19 worldwide, the state of Rio de Janeiro will also allow football fans into stadiums from July 10, initially at one-third capacity, according to an official decree.
Capacity will move to two-thirds from Aug 1, while stadiums will be able to function with no restrictions from Aug 16. - AFP
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