Covid: ‘No substantial outbreaks’ following mass events trial
No substantial outbreaks of Covid-19 were recorded following the first part of a government trial to test mass events, a new report has found.
Over 58,000 people attended nine pilot events in April and May, including a club night in Liverpool, the FA Cup final at Wembley and the Brit Awards at the O2.
Just 28 positive cases of coronavirus were recorded across all the events, while zero positives resulted from the Brit awards.
The findings will come as a major boost to hopes for a full reopening on 19 July, when businesses hope to welcome full crowds without social distancing measures.
But the scientists behind the government’s events research programme warned the figures should be treated with “extreme caution” due to the low rate of return of pre- and post-event PCR tests.
The programme, which was set up in February, is designed to review how events with large crowds can return without the need for social distancing.
Attendees were required to take tests, while their movements and behaviour was monitored through video surveillance.
The report concluded there were higher risk areas and time periods during each event, such as entry and exit points, toilets and food and drink concessions.
But initial findings suggested attendees to all events except the nightclub experienced a lower level of exposure than they would spending six hours in a well-ventilated multi-person office.
Scientists will now analyse data from a second phase of pilot events, including Euro 2020 matches and Royal Ascot.
The release of the data come a day after Andrew Lloyd Webber and other industry titans launched legal action against the government to force ministers to release the findings.
The report will now likely fuel further calls from the sector for the final stage of reopening to be accelerated.
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said: “We are being marginalised by a government that has no regard or value for our sector, we have businesses suffering, peoples livelihoods destroyed and youth culture excluded.”
“It’s time to give us the certainty that we have been crying out for, and open the night time economy fully, no more excuses.”