Everton FC is reminding fans they’ll need to pass a Covid-19 test before attending Monday’s match with Manchester City, but the controversial safety measure is raising fears of more mandates to come, such as vaccination passports.
The club tweeted out the reminder on Sunday, insisting that fans who wish to enter Goodison Park will need to have a negative Covid-19 test result from no more than 36 hours before the match begins. With Liverpool under Tier 2 Covid-19 restrictions – as opposed to the Tier 4 lockdown gripping London – as many as 2,000 fans may be allowed to attend the game.
? | Coming to Goodison for #EVEMCI tomorrow? Remember to follow our #GamePlan and get a negative COVID-19 test no more than 36 hours before the match. Click the link ? to find out which testing centres are open. #FanReady
Social media users have taken issue with Everton’s mandate, pointing out the faultiness of Covid-19 tests, the fact that people could contract coronavirus during the 36-hour period before the match, and the flawed logic of testing for one disease while ignoring others with which someone might be asymptomatic, such as, say, tuberculosis. Others questioned whether supporters should still be required to wear a mask.
Using a lateral flow test with 50% accuracy, you’d be as well asking them to guess heads or tails correctly, to gain entrance.
What utter bullshit. I could have a negative test and then contract it 5 minutes later when I touch a surface then my face.It’s a complete farce.#SCAMDEMIC2020
Can you please list all the other illnesses asymptomatic (aka healthy) fans should be tested for? TB? Polio? The flu?
“Why would face coverings be needed if everyone inside is negative?” one commenter tweeted. Another said: “They can’t answer these questions because it’s a load of utter nonsense.”
Yes that’s exactly what they will be doing. It seemed pretty clear, if you don’t have a negative test don’t bother turning up as you won’t get in. Perhaps they should make crap memes or put it on YouTube so some can understand it better.
But many observers raised concerns about the bigger picture, including implications for future demands that might be made to allow consumers such privileges as attending football matches.
“Easy to see how this could morph into an ‘entrance-dependent-on-being-vaccinated scheme,” broadcaster Neil Clark said. “Needs to be pushback on this from sports fans before it’s too late.”
. @Everton make attendance dependent on getting a negative Covid test. Easy to see how this could morph into an ´entrance dependent on being vaccinated’ scheme. Needs to be a big pushback on this from sports fans before it’s too late. https://t.co/uGLqSDo6Va
Some commenters agreed, saying a Covid-19 test requirement is a bridge too far for them, especially at a time when fans are also expected to tolerate players kneeling before games in support of the Black Lives Matter political movement. “That’s me out – 50+ years a blue supporter, but done with football, between this and the knee,” one Everton fan said.
What an absolute disgrace, I hope this isn’t the future for all sporting events
Others argued that consumers must refuse such demands to avoid emboldening the ruling class to take more control over people. “Boycott any business testing you,” one commenter named Terry said. “It will be a vaccine pass before long. Boycott this dystopian future.”
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