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COVID-19

Spain’s football and basketball fans allowed to return to stadiums next season

La Liga can take another step towards normality next season after the Spanish government confirmed on Thursday it has lifted its ban on fans attending stadiums.

Spain's fans react during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group E football match between Slovakia and Spain at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville on June 23, 2021. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / POOL / AFP)
Spain's fans react during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group E football match between Slovakia and Spain at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville on June 23, 2021. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / POOL / AFP)

The exact capacity allowed in each stadium will be determined by regional authorities, with some restrictions still possible, especially in the north of Spain.

But the government giving permission for supporters to return is an important first step as La Liga clubs begin to recover financially from the Covid-19 pandemic.La Liga president Javier Tebas said earlier this week he expects stadiums to be at least 70 percent full at the start of the season in August.

“We can return let’s say to normality in terms of fans being allowed into stadiums,” Spanish health minister, Carolina Darias said on Thursday, with the announcement applying both to La Liga and Spain’s ACB basketball league.

“It will have to be, as it was before, the regional authorities who determine the capacity,” Darias added.

Fans were allowed to return for the last two rounds of La Liga last season but in only five regions and with a limit of 30 percent capacity and 5,000 people.

Spain is hosting four Euro 2020 matches in Seville at La Cartuja stadium, where a capacity of 30 percent has been allowed.

Bilbao was Spain’s original host city but local authorities were unable to commit to supporters attending Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames.

The UK government announced on Tuesday the tournament’s semi-final and final will be able to be played in front of more than 60,000 fans at Wembley, which means the stadium will be at 75 percent capacity.

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COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

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People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

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