Alarming Covid surge cools Russia’s football fever

Russia is facing a sharp increase in the number of new Covid-19 infections, while at the same time hosting European Championship football matches.

The mayor of Moscow has spoken of an "explosion" of cases and authorities say the numbers are close to last year's peaks. Twenty million people live in the Moscow region and compulsory vaccinations have now been ordered for service sector staff such as catering and public transport.

No Euro 2020 matches are taking place in Moscow itself, but a special fan zone with a big screen has now been closed.

St Petersburg, which is hosting six matches, is facing a steep rise too. Doctors across Russia have seen a 30% increase in cases in the past week, say officials, amid a significant spread in the Delta variant that originated in India.