Another test event was held in Europe, this one a maskless concert of 5,000 people in Liverpool, England.
Concert-goers were able to sing and dance without masks or social distancing at a music festival in northern England this past Sunday, at the first concert to be allowed to take place in the country since implementing lockdown measures related to the global coronavirus pandemic.
The sold-out show was played at Liverpool's Sefton Park as part of a government plan to test security measures it plans to implement from 21 June, when the bulk of the coronavirus restrictions are to be lifted.
“Doing normal things again like normal people do, finally!” one participant told Belga News Agency.
“It's good that it's happening again to test if it can work like this for this summer,” added another.
The UK government has previously allowed a limited number of fans to attend sporting events such as a football match at Wembley Stadium in London. Researchers are evaluating different approaches to ventilation and social distancing.
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All participants in the two-day festival were required to undergo an antigen test before entering the stadium and will also have to be tested afterwards.
They also had to leave their contact details so that a tracing system could be set up in case of a positive test.
To attend the concerts, festival-goers had to show a positive antigen test and QR code.
“There's no reason for anyone to catch anything, so I feel very comfortable with this,” one attendee said.
The prestigious Brit Awards ceremony on 11 May will accept 4,000 spectators in London, provided they test positive on an antigen test.
According to the latest government figures, more than 34 million people have received at least a first dose of vaccine in the UK, which has suffered more than 127,000 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began.
Belgium is considering conducting similar test events in order to facilitate the reopening of the cultural sector.
A performance at the Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS) in Brussels, which it said would take place regardless of whatever the coronavirus fighting measures allow, may now serve as a test event, the city’s mayor said.
The Netherlands has also conducted similar experiments regarding travel.
A larger-scale test event of 10,000 people in Breda near the Belgian-Dutch border was scrapped after protests.
The Brussels Times
