HEALTH officials have said around 70 people may have contracted coronavirus at a popular Wales festival.

Public Health Wales, which is carrying out active public health surveillance around large events, say the figures were obtained by analysis of 'Track and Trace' data following the Green Man Festival held in August.

However organisers say the rate of transmission at the event is lower than the national average, and have paid tribute to "common sense" of revellers.

A spokesperson for Public Health Wales said: "Analysis of contact tracing data gathered by Test, Trace, Protect has identified 71 Welsh residents with confirmed coronavirus, where Green Man festival was reported as a possible exposure in the seven days before showing symptoms.

"However, it is important to note that these cases are not necessarily attributable to transmission at the festival, as Green Man would have been one of a number of exposures reported by cases prior to onset, including, for example: socialising outside the festival, travel to and from the festival etc."

The festival returned to the Brecon Beacons this year after being cancelled in 2020, having been given the go ahead in July.

Visitors to the event were required to present proof of double vaccination or a negative lateral flow test result in order to be admitted to the festival.

A spokesperson from Green Man said: "Live events, tourism, artists and hospitality have been devastated by the pandemic and we hoped that Green Man going ahead would illustrate that if common sense and science worked together, festivals and other Welsh events and venues could open safely.

"From our post festival questionnaire, the overwhelming response from those attending was that we had done all we could to protect those attending from COVID-19 and that they felt safe - which was something that mattered a great deal to us.

"We have worked with Cardiff University’s Department of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, to find out the number of COVID-19 cases would be expected from a town with a population of 25,000 people, which is the equivalent to Green Man.

"That number was 88 cases over seven days, which means that the 71 cases associated with Green Man is under the expected national average.

"As the Public Health Wales statement states, 'there is no firm evidence that the cases they referred to actually came from Green Man', but even if this is the case, this number is by far the lowest figure recorded from any large UK event that has taken place this year.

"There was a lot at stake in putting on Green Man this year and we didn’t want to let anyone down. Thanks to collaboration with Welsh Government, Powys Council, Cardiff University our own Health and Safety team, the local community and our amazing staff and crew, we were able to run a safe and secure festival."

The numbers compare favourably with other events held in the UK this summer, with almost 5,000 coronavirus cases linked to this year’s Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall, while over 1,000 fans who attended July’s Latitude Festival in Suffolk tested positive in the days after the event.

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