Coronavirus

Vaccination rate below 15 percent in Copa America host cities

football copa america
Photo: Christian Vinces/ Shutterstock

The controversial and widely criticized decision to host the 2021 Copa America in Brazil — supported and confirmed by President Jair Bolsonaro on June 1 — exposed a list of inconsistencies, especially regarding the country’s pandemic response. 

After several states pulled out due to Covid fears, South American football confederation Conmebol announced that matches will take place in the cities of Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Cuiabá, and Goiânia, starting on June 11.

However, according to a survey carried out by Congresso em Foco, neither of these four cities have fully vaccinated more than 15 percent of their local populations. 

After the announcement, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga confirmed it had drafted a new health protocol that would “grant the safety of national team delegations.”