boardmasters infection spike

Definitely,cottage already booked.Did you watch Roscoe Roscoe---if yes I need you to say they were terrible.Tried to ignore covid,I think that's the right approach---we live in such a quiet village/town just being amongst people felt strange.

Yeah, I'm popping down to my local test centre to get a test later- just to see. If I've got anything I reckon I got it up the front for the excellent Crack Cloud. From what I read about Boardmasters there were 2 big differences

-more young people at Boardmasters. (as an aside- did anyone else get the impression it was an older demographic than usual at GM? Not as many big groups of teenagers)

-barely any safety measures being taken

I was constantly thinking about risk and initially felt unsage in crowds, but generally felt pretty safe when I thought about it properly. It was clearly being taken very seriously in organisation. Some people will have been unlucky, maybe I was unlucky, but the level of vaccination means those unlucky people won't trigger a spike in their community.

It states in the article, that people had admitted to attending the festival when they knowingly had tested positive.

I'm hoping the Green Man crowd weren't as reckless, i'm guessing the majority of us are not.

I assume it must have been GM as i've not been anywhere else.....

I did a Lateral flow today but was negative which is reassuring

I haven't been pinged (yet) but had my phone on power saving mode during a lot of the festival so not sure if that means Bluetooth was turned off? 

I don't know how it all works - it's a mystery to me!  I didn't even see anywhere to scan in at Green Man, but maybe I go round with my eyes closed.  If I get pinged I reckon it will be from the 4-hour coach journey with hardly anyone wearing masks.

The NHS Covid app does contact tracing in two ways. One is that you can scan in to a venue, and then if someone else who was there that day gets diagnosed with Covid then you might be pinged.

The other way is that the app constantly keeps track (via Bluetooth) of other app users around you, and basically keeps an anonymous list of any you've been within 2 metres of for more than 15 minutes. Then if any of those anonymous users tell their app they've had a positive test, you'll be pinged.

I've not been bleeped, but maybe that's because I've got the Scottish app installed which probably doesn't talk to the English and Welsh one? I did take a lateral flow test and it says I'm negative.

Just found some details on the app, and saw my 'contact' occurred some time on Saturday.  Incredible that it was just one 'contact' over the whole week (Monday to Monday), bearing in mind the numbers of people nearby over the Seven days.

still waiting on my PCR test.

I got pinged today and it dates back to Saturday as well. Done three LFTs this week before that and all clear. I feel tired and a bit rough but I always do after a festival. Waiting for a PCR anyway. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58447565

possible Covid figures following the festival.  Just 70 possible cases that may be linked to Green Man.  Sure there can be no criticism there (in perspective, against 4700 infections from Boardmasters)

well done to the Green Man organisers, the crew, contractors, performers and of course all the punters in keeping the festival as safe As it could reasonably be (although I got pinged I think it is safe to say I was not infected - but still followed the instructions).

I guess they mean showing proof of vaccination/negative LFT on entry, sides removed from Far Out to increase ventilation, the large containers of sanatizer by the loos, and providing new cups at the bar every time you ordered a drink with those reusable cups handed in being take offsite for deep cleaning. I think the latter presented the most logistical problems to manage as the Courtyard Bar ran out of reusable cups for quite some time after a day one. From my experience this wasn't rigorously enforced by all bar staff across the whole weekend, though apparently this was a licensing condition. I think it was always going to be a difficult thing to balance. I don't think I saw more than a handful of face coverings being worn all weekend, but thankfully I've not seen anything to suggest there was much of a spike as a result of the festival. I'm only just getting over a sore throat I've had since I got back, which I attribute to my immune system not coping as well with the usual viruses we're routinely exposed to after 18 months without mingling with other people. I took two LFTs and a PCR test to be sure though!

So I saw a report from PH Wales saying a whole 71 people tested positive with Green Man as a context (where someone had beeb before onset/test) but no way of saying this is where it was contracted. I don't know if this is just Welsh cases, but I imagine this is national (making the presumption on how other infections are reported as I work for the South West health protection team). This does not surprise me, I felt safer (and I'm exclusively referring to feeling Covid safe) at GM than any pub or supermarket I have been to.

But I can't imagine for a second that EotR are going to have similar figures. No masks, no cross site reminders to be aware of other people's anxiety levels... It was kind of like "pandemic, what pandemic". I did not feel Covid safe at any point (although the running water and soap will definitely help with infection control... Other infections are available) and will be presuming I'm going to get it or have been in contact with someone who was positive and therefore will be isolating and doing daily tests.

As it was my first EotR, this is such a shame as it took the edge off what have been a wonderful weekend (still loved it and still going back). Also, it felt a whole ton busier than GM which was a surprise with it being smaller, but this may be due to the lack of distancing. 

Still, 71 is a phenomenal number. And I can't of looked trustworthy as I was checked 4 times in total.

I also saw a lot of mask wearing in bars, far out, walking around where it was busy and walking around in general. I think all the signs at GM were spot on, not authoritative but hey, remember some people might not be comfortable. I had several people ask if I was ok with them standing close to me at the walled garden for pictish trail and dream wife.

I'm always fascinated by the spectrum of post festival perspectives but this year there's so much difference.

We were told the paper bands could be removed once the fabric wristbands had been fitted.  This made sense as it seems that you were expected to have had the first band before you could get the second.  I am surprised there was no Covid check on re-entering the site but was this vital, given that you had been checked previously as evidenced by the festival wristband.  I Assume this applied to new arrivals after thursday as I saw plenty still wearing the paper bands on the Sunday, who am pretty sure had arrived for the final day only.

regarding Crickhowell on the Wednesday, welsh rules should have been followed, with masks mandatory inside.  There would have been no restrictions on who may have been visiting the town (festival goers or day tripper) but assuming they had a festival wrist band, or were armed with the necessary proof to present the following day, I would have thought Crickhowell would still have been a lot safer then many towns, supermarkets and pubs in England.

That's me finished now because I'm sounding a right moaner when in reality I'm still on a high from 2 wonderful weekends.