A test concert bringing together nearly 5,000 people took place in Liverpool on Sunday 2 May 2021. – Jon Super / Shutterstock / SIPA
The English government had a rather direct and original idea to assess the risks of contagion to the coronavirus within a crowd. This weekend, several events were organized in Liverpool, including two nightclub evenings and a concert under a marquee.
Friday and Saturday, from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. (local time), thousands of clubbers came to dance without mask or barrier gesture in front of several DJs including Sven Väth, Fatboy Slim, in the disco of the Circus of Liverpool. More precisely, three thousand tickets had been sold for each evening. On Sunday, nearly 5,000 people attended a concert of just under six hours under a marquee featuring singer Zuzu, a native of Liverpool, and bands The Lathums and Blossoms.
PCR tests before and after the event
To access the nightclub, it was necessary to provide proof of a negative antigenic screening for the coronavirus. “Participants will also be asked to perform a PCR test before and after the event to inform research and ensure that any transmission of the virus is properly monitored,” the government said on its website. Hand disinfectant gel was also made available on site, but the wearing of a mask was not compulsory.
Called “the First Dance”, this event was “a historic moment for electronic music and all events in the United Kingdom”, rejoiced in a statement the DJ Yousef Zahar, founder of this nightclub.
About ten pilot tests
These evenings are part of a dozen pilot tests aimed at studying the risks of transmission of the coronavirus within crowds, to better organize the reopening to the public of large sporting and cultural events.
Among the other trials conducted, the Brit awards ceremony, the British pop music awards, will take place on May 11 in front of an audience of 4,000 people, and the FA Cup final on May 15 at Wembley Stadium will take place on May 11th in front of an audience of 4,000. will also be held in the presence of spectators.
Reopening of nightclubs scheduled for June 21
With more than 127,000 deaths from Covid-19, the United Kingdom is the country most affected by the pandemic in Europe. The health situation has however improved markedly, with less than 3,000 daily infections with Covid-19 and around twenty deaths from this disease per day, which has led the government to launch a gradual deconfinement. The reopening of the nightclubs is scheduled for June 21.
Other countries have embarked on life-size tests. In Spain, a test concert brought together 5,000 people at the end of March in Barcelona, where participants danced without distance wearing FFPA masks and after being subjected to an antigen test before the concert. Two weeks after the Love of Lesbian concert held on March 27, organizers said there was “no sign” of contagion during the event.