Swine flu spurs kissing ban at Wacken heavy metal festival

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090730-20933.html

Swine flu spurs kissing ban at Wacken heavy metal festival

Published: 30 Jul 09 18:08 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090730-20933.html

As the Wacken Open Air heavy metal music festival kicked off on Thursday health officials announced a ban on kissing and sharing drinks between concert-goers to prevent a potential outbreak of swine flu.


With some 75,000 visitors expected in the small town in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, medical rescue services have stockpiled anti-viral medical inventory and isolation rooms to prevent the spread of the A/H1NI virus, the health ministry in Kiel said in a statement.


The ministry cited an increasing number of cases in the state for the ?probability of a spread.? The Robert Koch Institute reported Thursday afternoon that the state had 107 confirmed cases of swine flu out of Germany?s total of 5,324 ? a number that jumped by almost one-fifth from the previous day?s report.

Due to the ?circumstances of limited hygiene,? the health ministry urged Wacken metal fans to resist ?close greeting rituals? such as hugging, handshakes and kisses on the cheek. They should also not let beverages ?circulate,? the statement said.

Anyone at the festival who notices flu-like symptoms was urged to visit medical personnel on site immediately.

The kissing ban doesn?t apply to everyone at the festival, daily Die Welt reported. One couple kissed after saying ?I do? on stage in front of some 300 black-clad guests.

The sold-out WOA, which claims to be the largest heavy metal festival in the world, features bands such as Napalm Death and M?torhead in this year?s line-up.

The Local (news@thelocal.de)

 

[mixin]

Re: Swine flu spurs kissing ban at Wacken heavy metal festival

I know this is a serious article but I still got a little chuckle out of it. Banning kissing and drink sharing at a rock concert, indeed.

I wonder how they'll enforce such a ban unless they just arrest those on the streets; it would take riot gear to reach those attending the concert. The pictures in the article show nothing but a mass of yelling, arm-waving bodies crowded so close they can probably smell each other's breath.

If ever an event was able to spread a disease, this will be a good one to watch. It claims to be the largest heavy metal festival in the world and likely attracts fans from all over Europe.

 

[tropical]

Re: Swine flu spurs kissing ban at Wacken heavy metal festival

#1/2:...

I agree mixin.

This is pure cosmetic!

Instead of the same event to be banned,
but when in an worldwide denial about the severity of this pandemic (foging about "seasonal" efects), such ban will be "inimaginable" for the estab.

So, they re-invent an "crowd fited social distancing".
Of course, it will be impossible to achieve that.