Attendee Of Barcelona’s Love Of Lesbian Concert Tests Positive For Covid

ATTENDEE of Barcelona’s Love of Lesbian concerts tests positive for Covid as festival organisers urge people not to panic

More than 5,000 people attended a pilot music gig of well-loved indie band Love of Lesbian at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on Saturday, March 27. Attendees had to present a negative coronavirus test in order to gain entry to the sold-out gig and had to wear masks at all times, however, social distancing was not required. Now, less than a week after the trial project aimed at showing how public concerts can be safe places, one of the people attending has tested positive for Covid.

According to the organisers, the person in question attended a dinner party the day before the concert and tested negative for Covid on the morning of the event. However, on Tuesday, March 30 he was contacted by a friend from the dinner party who had received a positive result; when the concert-goer was re-tested, he was positive, as were all but one guest at the restaurant.

Rigorous safety measures were implemented for the event: as well as a requirement to present a negative test on the day of the concert, all attendees had to agree to be monitored for fifteen days afterwards to ensure the virus didn’t spread after the massive event. The organisation, Festivals for Culture, refuse to see this one positive as a “failure” and have insisted that every possible safety measure was adhered to.

They have also urged others who attended the concert not to worry unduly.

“If he tested negative in the TA it means that his viral load was not such as to have the capacity to transmit the virus,” a spokesperson said. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) both the TA (antigen test) and rapid antigen diagnostic test (PDR-Ag) for Covid do have a minimal margin for error.

Fifteen days after the Love of Lesbian concert, on April 10, the Ministry of Health will analyse the available data and publish its conclusions of the pilot test. A smaller event of 500 was previously trialled in the Apolo Room in Barcelona with proved a success with no positive tests afterward.

“People have understood perfectly the measures we’re adopting,” said co-organiser Dani Poveda before the concert.

“It is a very responsible audience… We know everyone will be looking at this concert as a possible model for how to keep advancing in the fight against the pandemic, which has caused so much damage, both to our sector and many others.”