The mayors of Meyzieu and Décines in the suburbs of Lyon, where the "Groupama Stadium" which is to host the Lyon - Juventus Turin match in the Champions League knockout round this Wednesday evening, have asked the authorities to ban the coming Italian supporters due to the coronavirus epidemic.
"In the name of the precautionary principle but also of the prevention of any disturbance to public order, it is in concert that we ask the highest authorities of the French State to rule against the arrival of Italian supporters", write in a joint press release the mayor of Décines Laurence Fautra and his counterpart from the neighboring town of Meyzieu Christophe Quiniou.
3000 supporters expected
The two elected believe that "the prospect of this meeting gives rise to fears, legitimate" among their constituents, "immediately concerned by the reception and the flow of supporters". "For several days, we have been in contact with the regional prefecture but also the Regional Health Agency to share our firmest reservations with the arrival of nearly 3,000 Italian supporters," they add.
In Italy, the number of contaminations with the new coronavirus jumped to more than 280 and 7 people died, making it the most affected country in Europe. The main focus is in the region of Lombardy (north-west), neighboring the region of Turin. Earlier, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran assured on RTL that "no scientific and medical argument today" led "to stop collective events", while acknowledging that the epidemic was "on our doorstep".