The Dutch partyed as if Covid-19 wasn’t there yet

Despite playing the role of ‘lab mouse’, thousands of people still could not hide the joy of participating in live concerts.
It was all gathering a few hundred people but the two crowds were handled differently, according to CNN .

The first party was at Amsterdam’s Vondelpark – a green space with a stunning view in the Dutch capital. Hundreds of people celebrate the warm spring days of February together. “This gathering is illegal but we still participate. They couldn’t make us stay at home. We’re bored, ”one woman told Dutch TV. Crowds attend the Field Lab’s concert in early March. Photo: CNN. Video recorded by a local television channel in Amsterdam showed the excitement of young people present at Vondelpark. One guest in attendance stated that they were “fed up” with the epidemic prevention rules. After that, the police arrived and dispersed this crowd. The mayor decided to close all entrances to the park, except for the two gates, so that everyone could come here. The second gathering took place only a few kilometers away at the Ziggo Dome theater. Hundreds of people showed up to enjoy the songs that folk singer André Hazes, Jr. Shows. But this time, the police did not show up. The concert is approved by the Dutch government, not limited to a maximum of 30 people in the enclosed space. Audiences were tested negative for Covid-19 for no more than 48 hours prior to the concert. They also wear electronic bracelets for easy tracing. The concert is essentially part of a test backed by the Dutch government to see if the event planning industry can stand its ground amid a slow rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination. CNN . Vivian Nagelkerke (26), who went to the concert with a friend, said: “It’s like a dream where everything is allowed. I felt lightheaded to go back to the theater. Before the pandemic, I attended 3 concerts a week ”. The attendees have their temperature measured and must have a Covid-19 test paper no more than 48 hours before entering The Ziggo Dome theater. Photo: Ferdy Damman / AFP. Fun mouse experiment Eight mass gatherings took place in March as a result of months-long negotiations between the Dutch government and Field Lab – a group of researchers. They held a series of events, from dance festivals, seat concerts to soccer matches, to study the behavior of attendees, while also monitoring any possible infections. happening. “So far, the ‘lab rats’ (referring to event participants) are very happy to be involved in the study,” said Andreas Voss, professor of infection control at Radboud University, laughing. Although no exact results have been released yet, Voss said by comparing data from concert attendees to national population data, the team believes attending an event can help. strict management with the early Covid-19 test is no more risky than daily life in the Netherlands. “To date, the risk has been mostly lower than in untested cases, out of the event. We are sure to have promising results, ”he said. The Dutch Minister of Health agrees. In early March, he called the Field Lab’s initial discovery “truly encouraging”. Cheerful, happy crowd attending the concert after such a long time. Photo: Ferdy Damman / AFP. Of course, there is still a risk not only for those who have attended the events, but also to whom they subsequently come into contact with. Therefore, the organizers asked the attendees to limit their contact with anyone in the vulnerable group, and to test Covid-19 5 days after the end of the event. Field Lab reported that to date, only 5 out of 6,000 people who have attended public events they organize are positive for Covid-19. However, they are not sure if the cases were transmitted from the Field Lab event. Emily Denissen “felt flustered” to attend public events. Photo: NVCC. Emily Denissen, who celebrated her 32nd birthday at one of Field Lab’s concerts, happily recounted: “What happened that night was amazing. Everyone to relax, enjoy their best ”. Part of the story “let loose” means forgetting about the epidemic room rules for the audience. Once they have consumed alcohol, many people take off their masks and forget about social distance. However, that was not too surprising, nor was it bad. “We are not influencing them in any way,” said Professor Voss. We also do not prompt to follow the rules, because we want to know what will happen in real-life events. “It is true that during music festivals masks are removed more quickly,” he said. Meanwhile, at auditorium events, business conferences and soccer matches, more than 94% of attendees maintained wearing masks. Despite being the subject of research, Niels Fekken (21 years old) can not hide the happiness of attending a concert after more than a year at home due to the pandemic. “I can barely describe it with words. Unbelievable. From last year until now, maybe this is the first time I feel so happy, “Fekken shared with CNN .