Copa America: Colombia is the 3rd team to get infected with COVID-19

Two members of the Colombian delegation to the Copa-America test positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. So now three competing teams have players or official infected before the tournament kicks off. Eight Venezuelan players were tested positive on Sunday along with three Bolivians. The news of more positive results comes as South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) defended itself against accusations regarding the tournament, which was rewarded to Brazil with less than two weeks notice and had cobbled together at the last minute.

Brazil was picked after Colombia had withdrawn due to a wave of civil unrest and co-hosts Argentina pulled out as per the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases. CONMEBOL mentioned in an open letter, “The decision to hold the Copa America in Brazil was not taken on a whim or improvised. It wasn’t put together at the last minute, which could be impossible.”

The organisation had defended hosting the tournament in a time when the pandemic was still not under control in South America and vaccinations were slow.

CONMEBOL said, “The sanitary bubble the delegations are in supposed to minimise contact with others outside it, the taking of tests 48 hours before each game by all the people involved in the matches and the transfer of delegations by charter plane, all helped the virus spread.”

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