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Ryan said organisers of mass events, including the Euros and Wimbledon needed to plan so that the gatherings did not drive transmission but cautioned against the message that holding them in the first place sent the rest of the unvaccinated world.
“Look of what the rest of the world is looking at - hundreds of millions of people in the southern hemisphere, hundreds of millions of people in developing countries - are looking on as their health systems collapse and they’re going ‘wow, they’re having a lot of fun in Europe, life is normal there,’” Ryan told a virtual news conference hosted at the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva.
Swarms of flying ants could joins swarms of fans at Wembley for the Euro 2020 final.Credit:AP
“It’s more difficult for governments in those situations, in those countries, to continue to implement public health and social measures because their populations are looking at this and saying ‘hey it’s all over in Europe, maybe it’s all over here.’
“So there are also issues around the imagery we create around mass gathering events and a sense that in some senses, it’s over in Europe, it’s all done here, we’ve got everybody vaccinated, it’s back to normal life.
“Well, the reality is for most of the world it’s not back to normal life, for most of the world, we’re right in the throat of this pandemic and it’s really important that we show that solidarity,” Ryan said.
Last week federal opposition leader Anthony Albanese seized on images of tens of thousands of Britons attending Wimbledon and the Euros saying the pictures underlined the failure of Australia’s vaccine rollout with just 11.3 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.
A full capacity crowd watches the men’s singles final between Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Italy’s Matteo Berrettini at Wimbledon.Credit:AP
By contrast, Britain’s vaccine rollout is one of the most advanced in the world with 87 per cent of the adult population given one dose and 66 per cent fully jabbed but take up amongst younger males has plunged compared to other age groups.
On the day that the vaccination program was opened to those aged between 18-24 Britain was averaging more than 200,000 first doses per day but that rate has plunged to an average 81,000 per day in just three weeks with just 42,000 jabs given in the last 24-hour period.
However, the government says it is on track to beat its goal of offering a first dose to every adult and vaccinating two-thirds by next Monday when all restrictions will be lifted, although some limits on international travel will remain.