SUPPORTERS attending a Euro fan zone in Glasgow could have testing kits posted to their home, Scotland's health boss has suggested.
Professor Jason Leitch said the idea was being considered ahead of the country's opening game on Monday as he defended the decision to allow fans to enter the Glasgow Green space without a negative test or proof of vaccination.
Thousands of people will descend on the park each day to take in the Euro 2020 action - which begins with Turkey against Italy tonight - but some have called for mandatory testing to be in place like in other host cities across the continent.
READ MORE: Glasgow Green fan zone begins to take shape ahead of Euro 2020
And while admitting the fan zone is not "zero risk", Prof Leitch insisted it would not be right to "lock Glasgow down" for the duration of the tournament.
He said: "There are a number of reasons why testing is not mandatory but very, very recommended. That might seem a little counterintuitive.
"Making something mandatory makes people game it, makes people cheat it, and makes people do weird things. What you are better to do is persuade and make it easy for people to get it.
"The other problem with it is that testing is not 100% reliable. Like we have said the whole way through.
"Everyone who calls for testing for X, they think it will allow you to behave differently. It doesn't. You have to behave the same as you still could have the virus.
"The tests add a layer of protection.
"All of those things together make us give the advice that we think testing should be recommended.
"We are trying to see if we can maybe start to mail them out to people who have tickets.
"In the meantime, there will be a testing centre at the fan zone. But please do it before you go."
Glasgow MSPs, including Pam Duncan-Glancy and Paul Sweeney, are among those to have called for mass testing to be in place in the fan zone.
But just yesterday Glasgow Life official Chris Weitz insisted the space was the "safest place" for families to catch the Euro 2020 action outside of their home.
READ MORE: Glasgow's politicians criticise Scotland's decision to not take the knee during Euro 2020
"It's not zero risk," Prof Leitch told Radio Scotland. "The fan zone cannot be zero risk risk. The only way of taking away all of the risk of Covid is to lock the city down and not let any crowds in the fan zone or the stadium.
"That's not what I think the pandemic stage we're at suggests."
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