Coronavirus

Hamburg Marathon to bar Brazilian participants

The Hamburg Marathon, scheduled for September 13, issued safety guidelines prohibiting the participation of individuals hailing from countries with a high risk of Covid-19 spread, which includes Brazil.

The event — one of Germany’s most traditional — is expected to have 14,000 participants including both the full and half-marathon courses. The ban on participants from specific countries is the first of its kind in large sporting events since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Large sporting events were originally forbidden in Germany until October, but due to its strict guidelines — including restrictions on participants — the Hamburg Marathon was granted an exception.

No international travel for now

With over 1.2 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 so far (second only to the U.S. with 2.5 million), Brazil is deemed one of the countries with the highest risk of Covid-19 spread in the world.

Its reputation as a coronavirus hotbed has increasingly posed challenges for Brazilians trying to travel abroad in a post-pandemic world, as travel restrictions on the country are likely to linger longer than for most countries. New travel restrictions, alongside the drastic economic downfall brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, have shifted Brazilians’ travel plans towards domestic destinations, as previously reported by The Brazilian Report.

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