Lollapalooza has proven “no proof” of being a COVID superspreader occasion, Chicago well being official says
An estimated 385,000 crowd on the annual Lollapalooza music pageant this yr didn’t play a considerable position in spreading COVID-19, Chicago’s public well being commissioner Allison Arwady stated Thursday — two weeks after the primary day of the occasion.
“There have been no surprising findings at this level and NO proof at this level of ‘super-spreader’ occasion or substantial influence to Chicago’s COVID-19 epidemiology,” Arwady tweeted, including that the town would have already seen a surge in instances if there could be one. “I don’t assume we are going to see something that can counsel it was any type of tremendous spreader occasion,” she stated.
Organizers of the multiday occasion — which included headliners Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion and Put up Malone — required attendees to both present proof of full vaccination or present unfavourable COVID-19 check outcomes inside three days of displaying up. Unvaccinated visitors have been requested to put on a face masks whereas onsite.
To this point, a complete of 203 COVID instances in relation to Lollapalooza have been reported, and there have been no hospitalizations or deaths reported as of Wednesday, Arwady stated. Greater than 90% of the occasion’s crowds have been absolutely vaccinated, with 0.04% of vaccinated visitors reporting that they examined constructive for the virus. Of unvaccinated attendees, 0.16% have reported contracting the virus since attending.
“Lengthy story quick, the message would not change: the vaccine is working,” Arwady stated.
She stated her division will proceed to additional examine the pageant’s COVID influence as obligatory.
COVID-19 instances up to now week have jumped by 36% and COVID hospitalizations by 10% in Chicago, in accordance with the town’s database. Circumstances stay within the substantial transmission vary, averaging at 362 instances per day. Town’s positivity price is at 3.8% and roughly 184 persons are hospitalized with COVID.
“The Delta variant could be very a lot right here,” Arwady stated.
