Nicola Sturgeon has put in place the laxest Covid safety regime of Euro 2020

Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of undermining her own “cautious” coronavirus approach after it emerged football fans attending Euro 2020 games in Glasgow will undergo the most lenient Covid checks of any host stadium in Europe.

A guide published by Uefa shows that all venues across the continent to have finalised rules will have a stricter regime in place, with most requiring fans to prove they present a lower risk of spreading the virus, for example by showing they have been vaccinated or recently tested negative.

However, despite Glasgow still being in the grip of a major outbreak, the 48,000 fans set to attend four games at Hampden Park have been told they will need only a ticket and facemask to gain entry.

At Wembley, where Scotland will play against England on June 18, it was confirmed on Tuesday that fans will need to provide evidence of a negative lateral flow test result or proof of full vaccination.

The Uefa guide shows Glasgow currently has the softest entry rules of the 11 host cities across Europe as it was confirmed that a controversial fan park in the city, which will accommodate 6,000 people a day and serve alcohol, would go ahead as planned without a testing requirement.

Humza Yousaf, the health secretary, said he believed the fan zone, on Glasgow Green, would be “low risk” despite some businesses still being unable to open in the city and draconian curbs being in place on capacities in other settings.

He confirmed the fan park would run after it emerged that Glasgow Life, the public body running it on behalf of the city council, had already spent more than £84,000 on giant TV screens.

There have also been calls from prominent public health experts to introduce mandatory testing to gain entry to the fan park, although Mr Yousaf said this would be voluntary.

However, he said he reserved the right to shut down the fan zone midway through the Euros, which begins on Friday and sees Scotland take part in a major mens’ tournament for the first time since 1998, should “significant concerns” arise.

Sandesh Gulhane, a Glasgow GP and public health spokesman for the Scottish Tories, accused Ms Sturgeon of spreading confusion by signing off the relaxed approach for fans entering Hampden Park.

“With Glasgow having only recently emerged from the toughest restrictions in the whole of the United Kingdom, this sort of guidance flies in the face of cautious public health messaging," he said.

“While we all want fans to be able to enjoy themselves, a lack of even having to prove a negative Covid test upon entry at Hampden does send out a mixed message especially to our hard hit hospitality businesses.

“It will be welcome to see thousands of the Tartan Army cheering on Scotland. However, these games will be the largest events to have taken place in Scotland for 15 months. The SNP Government must work closely with the footballing authorities to ensure they run as safely as possible."

Combinations of requirements for negative tests, proof of immunity or vaccination are in place in London, Amsterdam, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen and Rome.

It has not yet been announced whether fans will need a test to enter a stadium in Munich, although a requirement for high-grade face masks will be in place.

Saint Petersburg is the only city other than Glasgow that will definitely not need proof of either a negative test or vaccination, although fans there will have to undergo a body temperature check.

Details have not yet been finalised for the Olympic Stadium in Baku, although Uefa states a requirement for a negative test may yet be brought in. Rules are also still being finalised for Seville.

Mr Yousaf claimed on Tuesday that there were “ethical considerations” and “equality issues” in making presenting test results compulsory.

Like all stadiums in the tournament, Hampden will run with a reduced capacity, with 12,000 fans allowed to enter the 51,000 capacity venue. Ticket holders will be allocated staggered times to enter the stadium, in a bid to prevent congestion, and concession stands will be closed.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Robust safety measures will be in place at Hampden for the Euro 2020 matches including physical distancing, stewarding, cleaning and contact tracing provisions.

“Everyone attending a match will also be asked to take up the offer of twice weekly rapid lateral flow testing.

“The situation with the virus will be continually reviewed in the run up to, and during, the tournament, taking into account the latest scientific and clinical advice.”

Scots on cruise ship 'barred from setting foot in their own country'

Meanwhile, passengers on a cruise ship touring the UK have been told they will not be allowed to disembark in Scotland thanks to the SNP's Covid rules.

The MSC Virtuosa left Liverpool earlier this week with planned stops in Greenock in Inverclyde, as well as Belfast and Southampton. All the passengers are UK residents, fully vaccinated, and recently tested negative.

But the SNP government has said domestic cruises can only restart when restrictions in all of Scotland reach Level 1 of Nicola Sturgeon's lockdown restrictions. Although Inverclyde is in Level 1, 14 other council areas are in Level 2.

The Scottish Passenger Agents Association (SPAA) has confirmed that Wednesday's scheduled stop in Greenock has had to be cancelled. The industry body said the situation meant Scots on board the vessel were effectively "barred from setting foot in their own country".

Although the ship can carry more than 6,000 passengers, it has just under 900 currently on board to allow for social-distancing measures.

Train, plane and car passengers can currently travel between Scotland and the other parts of the UK. The Scottish Government said the decision was based on the risks "between both cruises and the wider travel context" but a travel agent described the decision as "another nail in the coffin for the travel industry".

Murdo Fraser, a Scottish Tory MSP, tweeted: "’I've had constituents in contact about this latest farce. They are booked to sail on this cruise but cannot board in Scotland - however they could travel to an English port and board there. Shambolic."