There is still no certainty of direct contact, but according to news from BBC News, Of the 50,000 people who attended the festival in Newquay – which now includes the three sites with the highest infection rates in England – between August 11 and 15, about 4,700 were infected with the new coronavirus, of whom about 800 were from people living in Cornwall. The local public health team said they would know “the full picture in a few more days”.
“Of these people, three-quarters are between 16 and 21 years old, which is exactly the profile of people we know who attend the festival,” they added.
Organizing the Boardmasters Festival did not require the use of a mask, it was only recommended. However, presentation of a vaccination certificate, negative PCR test, or proof of immunity was required for all ticket holders over the age of 11.
Participants who camped out at the festival were also asked to take a second negative test. According to a spokesperson for the organization, “Due to these measures, more than 450 people who would otherwise have been at risk of transmitting the virus did not attend or leave the festival early.”
They added, “We look forward to sharing our experience running the festival in the current circumstances with other major events so that we can all continue to provide the necessary economic benefits to our broader communities and entertainment to our loyal audience.”
Despite the potential number of festival-related injuries – which were expected, even with prevention measures – these do not “translate into cases of serious illness, with the risk of life”.
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