Shiloh
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Source: https://english.elpais.com/society/...r-attending-music-festivals-in-catalonia.html
Nearly 2,300 people test positive for coronavirus after attending music festivals in Catalonia
According to a study from the Catalan government, the number of infections among concert-goers at Vida, Canet Rock and Cruïlla was 76% higher than those recorded in the control group
Festival-goers at the music festival Cruïlla in early July.
Jessica Mouzo
05 Aug 2021 - 3:06 EDT
Large music festivals have increased the number of coronavirus cases in Catalonia, according to a study by the Catalan health department. The research found that 2,279 attendees of the festivals Vida, Canet Rock and Cruïlla contracted the virus. This figure is 76% more than the cases recorded in a control group and 58% more than what was expected, according to the analysis. The Catalan secretary of public health, Carme Cabezas, admitted on Wednesday that music events “have had an effect” on coronavirus transmission. But she added: “With 842 more cases than what was expected, we can’t say they have been superspreader events.”
A lot of attention has been paid to these large festivals as they took place in early July, just as Catalonia was grappling with the fifth coronavirus wave and contagion rates were already at high-risk levels. When Canet Rock and Vida took place between June 30 and July 4, the 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants was at 689, and the R number – i.e. how many other people an infected person passes the virus on to – was at 2.92, far above what was recommended by health authorities (below one). When the music festival Cruïlla was held on July 10 and 11, the incidence rate had shot up to more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 and the R number remained high at 1.37, meaning for every 100 infected individuals, another 137 would get the virus.
To attend the concerts, festival-goers were required to present a negative coronavirus test and wear a face mask at all times. But photos from the events showed that not everyone was following this rule. After the concerts, Catalan health chief Josep Maria Argimon admitted that they shouldn’t have been allowed to go ahead. “I have been self-critical. We don’t know if these events have been superspreaders or not yet, but they did convey an idea of normality that was not what we had to convey at that moment,” he told EL PAÍS before the results of the study were released...
Nearly 2,300 people test positive for coronavirus after attending music festivals in Catalonia
According to a study from the Catalan government, the number of infections among concert-goers at Vida, Canet Rock and Cruïlla was 76% higher than those recorded in the control group
Festival-goers at the music festival Cruïlla in early July.
Jessica Mouzo
05 Aug 2021 - 3:06 EDT
Large music festivals have increased the number of coronavirus cases in Catalonia, according to a study by the Catalan health department. The research found that 2,279 attendees of the festivals Vida, Canet Rock and Cruïlla contracted the virus. This figure is 76% more than the cases recorded in a control group and 58% more than what was expected, according to the analysis. The Catalan secretary of public health, Carme Cabezas, admitted on Wednesday that music events “have had an effect” on coronavirus transmission. But she added: “With 842 more cases than what was expected, we can’t say they have been superspreader events.”
A lot of attention has been paid to these large festivals as they took place in early July, just as Catalonia was grappling with the fifth coronavirus wave and contagion rates were already at high-risk levels. When Canet Rock and Vida took place between June 30 and July 4, the 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants was at 689, and the R number – i.e. how many other people an infected person passes the virus on to – was at 2.92, far above what was recommended by health authorities (below one). When the music festival Cruïlla was held on July 10 and 11, the incidence rate had shot up to more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 and the R number remained high at 1.37, meaning for every 100 infected individuals, another 137 would get the virus.
To attend the concerts, festival-goers were required to present a negative coronavirus test and wear a face mask at all times. But photos from the events showed that not everyone was following this rule. After the concerts, Catalan health chief Josep Maria Argimon admitted that they shouldn’t have been allowed to go ahead. “I have been self-critical. We don’t know if these events have been superspreaders or not yet, but they did convey an idea of normality that was not what we had to convey at that moment,” he told EL PAÍS before the results of the study were released...