Prognosis
U.K.’s Test of Large Events Shows No Substantial Virus Outbreaks
- First phase finds 28 Covid cases out of 58,000 participants
- Government says direct transmission ‘challenging to determine’
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No substantial Covid-19 outbreaks were reported among any of the nine pilot events -- including the Brit Awards and the FA Cup soccer final -- included in the first phase of a government study into whether large crowds can safely gather again.
The Events Research Programme included a total of 58,000 participants at events held in April and May at various venues across the country, with only 28 virus cases reported, according to a statement published Friday by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. It noted, however, that evidence of direct transmission at the events was “challenging to determine” because of a low uptake of PCR testing before and after.