|
Health experts are expecting to see a surge in COVID-19 infections in Chicago after 100,000 attendees gathered in Grant Park for the festival
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 05 Aug 2021
Attendees had to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to gain entry, but health professionals worry these measures weren’t enough Credit: AP
The Chicago edition of the Lollapalooza music festival is likely to cause a spike in COVID-19 infections health experts have warned.
The four-day festival, which took place at the beginning of August, saw hundreds of thousands of people gather at Chicago’s Grant Park to see artists such as Miley Cyrus, the Foo Fighters, Tyler The Creator and Meghan Thee Stallion perform.
To gain entry to the festival attendees had to provide proof of a negative COVID test from the past 72 hours or proof of vaccination. However, doctors have warned that these restrictions may not have been enough to limit the spread of the virus’ super infectious Delta variant.
“When you have 100,000 people or more people who are in a fairly enclosed space and there’s no social distancing, the vast majority are not wearing masks, you’re going to get some transmission of COVID-19 Delta variant,” infectious disease expert Dr Tina Tan told tTe Guardian
“I know they were trying to hold Lollapalooza as safely as possible but I think with the increasing amount of COVID we’ve been seeing there should have been some other things that were put into place,” Tan added.
New cases
Currently, Chicago is averaging more than 200 new cases a day, a figure lower than that at the height of the pandemic, however, officials have described it as a “significant threshold” for the city.
It’s likely to be another two or three weeks before the true impact of Lollapalooza on the city’s infection rate is known. However, there are also concerns that attendees who visited the city for the event will further spread the disease on returning home.
Tan also voiced concerns that children under 12, who are not currently being vaccinated, were at the festival, adding that a mask mandate should have been in place to protect them.
Tan argued that this stage of the pandemic is too soon to hold for such a large-scale in-person event. For an event such as this to be held safely, she said, it would need to be done virtually or with a significantly smaller crowd – more than 100,000 attended daily over the four-day event. Other safety measures Tan suggested include social distancing, a mask mandate and ensuring only vaccinated people could attend.
Concerns
Responding to concerns, Lori Lightfoot, mayor of Chicago, said that millions of people had already attended events, including smaller music festivals and major league baseball games, in Chicago throughout the summer.
“We’ve been able to open but do it with care because of the vaccinations,” she said.
“I feel very good about what we’ve done. Obviously, we’ll know a little bit more in a week to 10 days. But we have to keep pushing the fact that the unvaccinated are the people that are at risk.”
On July 29, Lollapalooza officials said that 90% of the estimated 100,000 attendees provided proof of vaccination, and more than 600 people who couldn’t provide the proper paperwork were denied entry.
However, these measures don’t take into account forged vaccination cards and test results, or the fact that vaccinated people can still transmit the virus.
Speaking at a press conference in late July, Chicago’s public health commissioner Dr Allison Arwady said: “I’m certainly hopeful that we won’t see a significant problem.”
Lightfoot, at the same press conference, dismissed further concerns.
“God bless the critics standing on the sidelines, but I feel confident that the Lolla folks have a good solid plan in place,” she said.
Culture
|
|
Storm surge: How Chimelong Spaceship’s award-winning and record-breaking Bermuda Storm was brought to life
|
