Italian Prime Minister calls for EURO 2020 final to be moved out of London over COVID-19 surge

Italian Prime Minister cautioned the Football governing body to remove Euro 2020 finals from London due to the widespread of COVID-19

Italian Prime Minister calls for EURO 2020 final to be moved out of London over COVID-19 surge
NHS

Mario Draghi, the Italian Prime Minister has called for the EURO 2020 final to be moved out of London because of the spread of the Delta variant.

"I want to ensure that the final of the European championship does not take place in a country where contagions are growing rapidly," Mario on Monday told reporters in Berlin during a joint press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Britain recorded more than 10,630 new COVID-19 infections on Monday. New cases have been steadily rising since late May after nearly seven weeks of the daily tally of new infections remaining under 3,000.

The surge is being blamed on the spread of the Delta variant which public health authorities say now accounts for more than 90% of new infections in the UK. 

The variant, which first originated in India, is believed to be up to 60% more transmissible than the original strain.

The flare-up of infections prompted Prime Minister Boris Johnson to postpone lifting the remaining restrictions in England planned for June 21 by another four weeks.