US cities are hosting summer music festival amid another Coronavirus infection surge

After a long hiatus, the summer music festivals have returned in the US amid a huge surge in the recent Covid-19 cases. After all the events were canceled or postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, both the fans and the musicians are dying for events like these to happen. The organizers and the cities that host these events are also eager to welcome them more than ever. And even though the health professionals are advising against attending these shows, they are being held all over the country and people are pouring in like rain.

One of the biggest outdoor hip hop music festivals, Rolling Loud was held in Hard Rock Stadium, Miami on this Friday with thousands of fans attending. Hip hop superstars like Post Malone, A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott, and more performed on the show. Despite Florida being the leading state in the country at the Covid-19 infection rate, events like this are still happening. Though the festival-goers were advised to wear masks, most didn’t and there was absolutely no physical distancing at the concert. The organizers left the choice of wearing masks and attending vaccinated on the visitors. Tariq Cherif, the co-founder of Rolling Loud said that they believe in giving fans the choice.

The Infectious-disease experts claimed that outdoor events are less risky than indoor events due to proper ventilation. But in a concert where everyone is singing, dancing, shouting, and drinking together, it’s hard to maintain physical distancing. And without a mask, the transmission situation is even worse. It is most dangerous in areas like the entrances, the front space of the stage, and the bathroom lines.

An infectious disease specialist from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Maria Alcaide, said that it is necessary to ensure that everybody in a group is fully vaccinated in order to remain safe. And it’s recommended to follow all the Coronavirus guidelines while going to a music festival, even though it’s quite hard in a crowded place like that.

Another music festival, Lollapalooza will be held from July 29th to August 1st in Grant Park, Chicago. The visitors must provide vaccination proof or a negative Coronavirus test, taken within the last 72 hours. Also, the people without the vaccine will have to wear masks at the events.

A recently held Dutch festival with similar protocols as Lollapalooza seemingly led to roughly 1000 Covid-19 infections.