The household of a lifelong Liverpool supporter who contracted coronavirus after attending the Champions League match in opposition to Atlético Madrid days earlier than the UK’s lockdown is demanding an inquiry into why the sport was allowed to go forward.
Richard Mawson, 70, from Kirkdale, Merseyside, went to observe his group on March 11 after the authorities mentioned there was ‘no purpose’ for folks to not, regardless of 1000’s of followers travelling from Spain which was hit exhausting by Covid-19.
He started experiencing signs two weeks later and was admitted to Anfield Hospital, the place he died on April 17.
Talking on BBC Breakfast this morning, his spouse Mary and son Jamie – who consider he contracted the virus on the match – demanded a full inquiry into why the sport was allowed to go forward.
Their declare comes after a prime scientist – Professor Tim Spector, who’s main the UK’s largest Covid-tracking undertaking – mentioned the Champions League match and Cheltenham Pageant, held between 16-19 March, ‘prompted elevated struggling and demise’.
Richard Mawson, 70, from Kirkdale, Merseyside, pictured along with his spouse Mary, handed away from Covid-19 a month after attending the Liverpool match in opposition to Atlético Madrid days earlier than the UK’s lockdown
Hundreds of Spanish followers descended on Liverpool for the conflict in March (pictured) – regardless of the very fact their house nation was in disaster as a result of coronavirus
Mary advised how her husband was ‘match and wholesome’ with no underlying well being circumstances, and went to the health club two to a few instances every week.
She mentioned: ‘Clearly the coronavirus was going round, however when your authorities is standing up and and saying, “Oh it is positive, go forward” and you are a lifelong supporter and you’re feeling so enthusiastic about them, you go along with what your authorities tells you.
‘Cheltenham was on, so every thing was alright in line with the federal government, which then, the next week, they determine they have been occurring lockdown.
‘However the authorities acted too late; they knew this was developing, however they did not do something about it.’
Jamie, of Formby, described his father as a ‘loving, caring and humorous’ one who devoted his life to his small household.
Mary advised how her husband – a lifelong Liverpool fan – was ‘match and wholesome’ with no underlying well being circumstances, and went to the health club two to a few instances every week
‘He is been watching Liverpool for about 62, 63 years and he is been doing the identical journey from his house in Kirkdale to the grounds,’ he mentioned.
‘On the evening of the sport on the 11th of March, he made the identical journey once more, clearly we acquired knocked out of the cup that evening, however two weeks later he began to develop signs of the Covid.
‘Excessive temperature, sweats, after which one or two days later he was beginning to turn into utterly breathless. My mum phoned an ambulance which got here rapidly, he went into Aintree Hospital and sadly we did not see him once more, he died on April 17.’
Mary mentioned his GP had initially suspected he had the flu, as Richard did not have the cough usually related to the coronavirus. He later examined constructive in hospital.
Mary and son Jamie – who consider Richard contracted the virus on the match – demanded a full inquiry into why the sport was allowed to go forward. Pictured with BBC Breakfast host Jon Kay
Jamie claimed he’s ’99 per cent sure’ his father contracted the lethal an infection on the Liverpool match.
‘My dad seldom went out, perhaps to select my daughter up from work,’ he mentioned. ‘Given the time when he developed the signs after which he grew to become actually in poor health, then two weeks after that he handed away, I am 99 per cent sure he did choose it up from the sport.
‘He needed to stroll previous the away followers, the Atlético followers, and I am 99 per cent sure he did choose it up from that recreation. However for us as a household it is so tough to take as a result of… he was 70, however he was match and wholesome, he had no underlying well being points, and for him to deteriorate in such a vogue, it is very exhausting for us to take.’
He added that many Atlético followers stayed within the metropolis for a few days after the sport, and mentioned his household try to achieve out to the federal government for a ‘full unbiased inquiry’.
Jamie, of Formby, described his father as a ‘loving, caring and humorous’ one who devoted his life to his small household. Pictured along with his mom Mary on BBC Breakfast at the moment
Jamie claimed he’s ’99 per cent sure’ his father Richard (pictured) contracted the lethal an infection on the Liverpool match, after strolling previous away followers
When Richard started exhibiting signs, Mary mentioned she ‘caught by the principles’ and remoted herself at their house, which means she was alone whereas her husband battled the sickness.
‘As soon as the physician mentioned I wasn’t exhibiting any signs, my household got here and acquired me. We’re solely a small household,’ she added.
‘I do not consider this authorities know what they’re doing. I would not take heed to them… I do not belief what they’re saying and I am terrified.’
Jamie added that the enjoyable of lockdown guidelines ‘actually worries him’, significantly after witnessing ‘1000’s’ of individuals go to the seaside close to their house this weekend.
‘There appears to be a calming round coronavirus,’ he mentioned. ‘I am frightened for the truth that, if we get a second hit, and I am positive it’s going to come, and individuals are not taking the proper recommendation and precautions, it should be one other unhappy ending.’
Liverpool’s Champions League match and Cheltenham Pageant led to extra coronavirus deaths and struggling, prime scientist claims
Crowds at this 12 months’s Cheltenham Pageant in March
Professor Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology and director of the TwinsUK Registry at King’s School London, who’s main the UK’s largest Covid-tracking undertaking, mentioned final week that the March sporting occasions ‘prompted elevated struggling and demise’.
Information gathered from tens of millions of volunteers discovered coronavirus ‘hotspots’ shortly after the occasions, the BBC reviews.
Professor Spector says the case charges ‘elevated several-fold’ regionally however Quantity 10 mentioned many components might be behind the rises.
Sporting occasions on the continent had, in some instances, already been referred to as off or held behind closed doorways with out spectators.
However the UK was persevering with to carry mass gatherings, with Boris Johnson saying on the time that individuals ought to ‘so far as potential, go about enterprise as ordinary’.
Each England and Scotland had a full schedule of soccer within the first week of March.
5 horse racing conferences and the Six Nations rugby match at Twickenham between England and Wales – which the prime minister attended – had additionally taken place.
Twenty-four hours earlier than Cheltenham opened as much as 250,000 spectators, Tradition Secretary Oliver Dowden mentioned: ‘There is no purpose for folks to not attend such occasions or to cancel them at this stage.’
Professor Spector, who works at King’s School London, mentioned that ‘folks could have most likely died prematurely’ due to the choice.