Helsinki, Finland, AFP. – Finnish authorities expressed concern this Thursday after discovering nearly a hundred cases of coronavirus in fans who returned to the country after watching the European Cup soccer match in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The Prime Minister and the health authority responsible for the epidemic, THL, called on Finns who returned to the country after the defeat to Belgium on Monday to get tests.

Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, told Finnish media on the sidelines of a European summit in Brussels.

Neighboring local authorities on the Finnish-Russian border counted 86 cases in tests carried out at customs centers, in the absence of analysis of all tests.

As a result of saturation and traffic jams caused by the return of about 3,000 fans on Tuesday, Finnish border guards were forced to let in about 800 people without being tested, according to local media.

Russia is facing an increase in cases of the most contagious delta-type coronavirus, a situation that particularly affects Saint Petersburg, the host city of the European Championship.

In a statement, the health authority THL indicated that people who return should be tested after 72 hours, highlighting that the infection rate in Saint Petersburg is currently twenty times higher than in Finland.

Finland was excluded from the European Championship after its defeat on Monday night against Belgium (2-0) in Russia. (Photo: AFP)