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Boardmasters: More than 50 Covid cases in Swansea Bay linked to festival

BBC Festival goersBBC
More than 50 people who went to Boardmasters have tested positive for Covid in the Swansea Bay area

Fifty-six positive Covid cases in the Swansea Bay health board area have been linked to a music festival in Cornwall.

Boardmasters took place from 11 to 15 August with a capacity of more than 50,000.

Swansea Bay University Health Board has urged everyone who attended to get tested for Covid if they feel unwell.

The health board registered 297 positive cases in the most recent update of data.

Daniel Pascoe FestivalDaniel Pascoe
The festival was held at Watergate Bay in Cornwall and was headlined by Gorillaz, Jorja Smith and Foals.

The health board said that as well as a new cough, high temperature, and lack of taste or smell, symptoms could also include sneezing, a sore throat, headaches and fatigue.

Sion Lingard, of Public Health Wales, said: "We are concerned that some people who attended the Boardmasters festival and are now feeling unwell may not realise they may be infected with Covid-19.

"It's important they get tested, and if the result is positive, to self-isolate to protect others."

"We are also calling on people to be responsible and remember they must not go to any other event, including festivals, if they have tested positive for Covid-19 or have Covid-19 symptoms," he said.

Case rates in Wales have started to rise slightly as festivals, sports events and other mass gatherings restart.

Public Health Wales warned that Covid had not gone away, and that it was important that people who go to events take precautions to avoid the transmission of the virus.

Getty Images Reading festivalGetty Images
More than 100,000 people from throughout the UK are expected to attend the Reading and Leeds festivals

Eleri Davies, an incident director at Public Health Wales, said people attending similar events should be vaccinated, and take a PCR test if they developed any symptoms.

"As expected following the move to alert level zero, case rates in Wales have risen and are currently over 200 cases per 100,000.

"While the vaccination programme has reduced the levels of hospitalisation and fatalities, the virus is still circulating in our communities," she said.

Meanwhile, a medical centre in Swansea said it was suspending in-person visits as several members of staff have tested positive for Covid.

In a statement Fforestfach Medical Centre said: "This situation also serves as a reminder that despite Wales now being in Level 0 status, the pandemic has not ended and the virus is still with us.

"We await advice from Public Health Wales, but hope to get back to normal as quickly as possible."