Covid discussions here please

[airwaves]

For once I feel incredibly less guilty about travelling from Devon to the festival in a car alone, avoiding the issues of exposure of unmasked coach travel

As it is I still intend to:-

Avoid any "front of crowd" / barrier hugging moments

Minimise Big Top time, and stay near ventilation when in there

Really really minimise Tipi time, limitations subject to what the actual conditions are vis a vis one side being opened - but still probably especially miss out the after-midnight sessions 

Judge my move times between stages especially ref end of set mass exodus times and especially exiting Garden Stage

And I will mask up when I judge I want to. 

I'm double jabbed and fit and all that, but "old", ~70

And..... due to fly to Iceland for a 3 week holiday the following weekend and have to provide a negative test (not just double jabbed). 

They say 5000 cases "linked to" Boardmasters - 50000 attended so 45000 presumably (?) didn't 

1000 cases "linked" to Latitude - 37000 attended so presumably (?) 36000 didn't 

Edited August 27, 2021 by airwaves
Correcting mistypes

[idyllwild]

I know it’s difficult in the heat of the moment and the excitement of a late night set in either tent, but if everyone can be as considerate as possible to everyone else then that’s all we can aim for.

We all know the high risk situations, the reasons for wearing masks and the benefit it brings to those in close proximity.

Those of us going are accepting a degree of risk, and won’t have anyone else to blame if we catch Covid. But the  risk of spread is dependent on what we all do as the EotR community. Unfortunately this isn’t the complete break from the real world that we usually enjoy, but occasionally masking up is a small price to pay for a great festival, especially those who worked so hard to put it on.

 

[SighMo]

4 minutes ago, idyllwild said:

I know it’s difficult in the heat of the moment and the excitement of a late night set in either tent, but if everyone can be as considerate as possible to everyone else then that’s all we can aim for.

We all know the high risk situations, the reasons for wearing masks and the benefit it brings to those in close proximity.

Those of us going are accepting a degree of risk, and won’t have anyone else to blame if we catch Covid. But the  risk of spread is dependent on what we all do as the EotR community. Unfortunately this isn’t the complete break from the real world that we usually enjoy, but occasionally masking up is a small price to pay for a great festival, especially those who worked so hard to put it on.

 

Was at Green Man last week; very similar festival with same age group and I saw  no more than 5 masks all weekend so don’t expect too much. 

[idyllwild]

17 minutes ago, SighMo said:

Was at Green Man last week; very similar festival with same age group and I saw  no more than 5 masks all weekend so don’t expect too much. 

Yeah, that’s pretty much what I’m expecting when I come down for EotR too.

All any of us can do is manage our own stuff, and I’ll be trying to follow the same sort of routine as airwaves described above. I’ve accepted the risk of attending this year for the tremendous upside, but I can’t treat it as a normal EotR year.

[doodlesbyben]

We're planning to do lat flow tests on thursday morning. Is anyone else doing this? I wouldn't be against them making that an entry requirement alongside jab status. 

[bobbyperu]

34 minutes ago, doodlesbyben said:

We're planning to do lat flow tests on thursday morning. Is anyone else doing this? I wouldn't be against them making that an entry requirement alongside jab status. 

I'm essentially self isolating in the lead up to it. Took a couple of tests last week after going to 2 gigs, both negative. Working from home and basically back in my own little lockdown from last Monday until the festival now.

If i developed any symptoms i'd obviously take a test but other than that i'm not planning to. I'll take a couple with me in case i develop any symptoms over the weekend.  Personally it wouldn't bother me if i had to take a test but they've obviously decided that's not wise. It would put a lot of folk off travelling and then you would possibly have issues with groups turning up, one person being negative and everyone being turned away. I don't think the festival could go ahead if a negative test on the day was required.

as others have said it's going to be different this year, i'll need to stop hugging random strangers when i'm pished for a start 😄

I don't think you can spend the whole weekend worrying about it. i'd actually say if you are going to do that it would probably be best not to go as it would surely impact on your enjoyment of it. The best, although it's perhaps naive, way to approach it is just to treat it like one big Covid bubble for the weekend. Don't be daft and don't put yourself in situations where you feel uncomfortable (leave the mosh pits to the kids!) but other than that just try to relax and enjoy as best you can.

Then take a test on Tuesday morning and hope for the best!

[doodlesbyben]

I just want everyone to be as relaxed as possible. I'm cool, just wouldn't want to put anyone at risk. I lost my dad to it a christmas so I  know, you know.

I'll be taking the test that morning just to be absolutely sure there's no chance I could be passing it on to anyone. 

 

Though Ive been doing lat flows regularly for months and i've been to busy places. Combi of luck and being double jabbed, no positives.

 

Back to festival chat, i'm SO excited to get back into a field with good music, food and folk. I really, really, really need it x

[discojod]

Myself and my husband (both double jabbed) have also been pretty much self isolating this week and will continue to do so until we leave Aberdeen on Tuesday.  In Scotland, we are very much still wearing masks everywhere so I will be doing the same in the hotels we are staying at the two nights prior to the festival, requesting to eat outside, etc.  

I really dreamed of EOTR being the escape from reality that I'm used to, but it just can't be.  I'm willing to accept the risk that we are taking, but will be cautious and do what I feel comfortable with.  And don't be offended if I go in the toilet after you and I stand wafting the door for a while first! 😛   

[eFestivals]

India did ten million vaccinations yesterday which is amazing fantastic

Edited August 28, 2021 by eFestivals

[Chapple12345]

We essentially did the same for Latitude (avoided indoors where possible/kept a tiny bit of distance/sanitised a lot) and were absolutely fine and everyone we know who went was absolutely fine too, I think cases are inevitable in all fairness but remember at all these events the overwhelming majority of people have come back fine and not caught anything so I think you're likely to be fine too. My best advice is to try not to let it effect your enjoyment and try and enjoy every second 

[Yoss]

I'm a massive hypocrite - I think the rates of infections reported from other festivals in recent weeks are, on the one hand, higher than we should probably be allowing from a national perspective; but on the other hand within the risk limits I personally am willing to take, at least as a one-off, given the importance of End of the Road to me, this year especially. (I'm not actually worried about getting covid myself - what will be will be - only about spreading it, and I plan to be supercautious, if not completely isolate, for a week or so once I'm back.)

Also, as others have said, the risk isn't necessarily random, some of it may be coming from crunch points such as the travel, and even when there there may be useful mitigation measures that can be taken. I'm not sure I can make a blanket rule of staying out of the indoor tents altogether - the Tipi in particular would be difficult - but I'll see how things look and feel when I get there. Sure a great festival could still be had at the outdoor stages only if it comes to it.

Edited August 28, 2021 by Yoss

[juliadevitt]

I’ve decided to treat it as a normal Eotr apart from wafting the loo and shower door! I am prepared to take the risk to see who I want to see and many are in the tipi and big top.

what I’m not prepared to do is pass it on to my work colleagues, so I have the rest of the following week booked off and will LF daily.

we’ve had it at work and it has been so difficult to still offer a service when so many have Covid or are self isolating (I work for a vets). 

Counting down the hours now!  

[Losing my hair]

I was at Green Man last weekend. I'm 69, double jabbed and had a negative lateral flow the day before. I treated the weekend in exactly the same way as I had done festivals before; I hugged my friends, I was in a packed Chai Wallahs tent on the Thursday, I was down at the front for Snapped Ankles and in the middle a bouncing crowd for Do Nothing.  

I've done 3 lateral flows since I got home (last one this morning)  - all negative.

Now I appreciate that some may regard my attitude as reckless, and I know people of a similar age who were far more cautious but who still enjoyed their weekend, but I'd thought it was worth sharing my experience. Yes, you stand an increased risk of catching Covid compared to staying at home but the risk - even at a festival, is still small, possibly smaller than the risk of an accident on the drive down.

See you Thursday - can't wait.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Losing my hair

[xxialac]

1 hour ago, Losing my hair said:

I was at Green Man last weekend. I'm 69, double jabbed and had a negative lateral flow the day before. I treated the weekend in exactly the same way as I had done festivals before; I hugged my friends, I was in a packed Chai Wallahs tent on the Thursday, I was down at the front for Snapped Ankles and in the middle a bouncing crowd for Do Nothing.  

I've done 3 lateral flows since I got home (last one this morning)  - all negative.

Now I appreciate that some may regard my attitude as reckless, and I know people of a similar age who were far more cautious but who still enjoyed their weekend, but I'd thought it was worth sharing my experience. Yes, you stand an increased risk of catching Covid compared to staying at home but the risk - even at a festival, is still small, possibly smaller than the risk of an accident on the drive down.

See you Thursday - can't wait.

 “Yes, you stand an increased risk of catching Covid compared to staying at home but the risk - even at a festival, is still small, possibly smaller than the risk of an accident on the drive down”

This isn’t remotely true, is it.

5,000 people caught covid at Boardmasters and those are the ones they know about, so the real figure will be much, much higher.

 

 

[SighMo]

1 hour ago, Losing my hair said:

I was at Green Man last weekend. I'm 69, double jabbed and had a negative lateral flow the day before. I treated the weekend in exactly the same way as I had done festivals before; I hugged my friends, I was in a packed Chai Wallahs tent on the Thursday, I was down at the front for Snapped Ankles and in the middle a bouncing crowd for Do Nothing.  

I've done 3 lateral flows since I got home (last one this morning)  - all negative.

Now I appreciate that some may regard my attitude as reckless, and I know people of a similar age who were far more cautious but who still enjoyed their weekend, but I'd thought it was worth sharing my experience. Yes, you stand an increased risk of catching Covid compared to staying at home but the risk - even at a festival, is still small, possibly smaller than the risk of an accident on the drive down.

See you Thursday - can't wait.

I’m 55 and was also at Green Man; probably bounced off you at Snapped ankles. Also double jabbed and took a test a coup,e of days after as  I was feeling my usual post festival sore throat from too much drinking and shouting. Fighting fit again now and ready to rock again on Thursday. 

[Losing my hair]

7 minutes ago, xxialac said:

 “Yes, you stand an increased risk of catching Covid compared to staying at home but the risk - even at a festival, is still small, possibly smaller than the risk of an accident on the drive down”

This isn’t remotely true, is it.

5,000 people caught covid at Boardmasters and those are the ones they know about, so the real figure will be much, much higher.

 

 

And the demographic of people attending Boardmasters is not remotely the same as End of the Road.

As far as I'm aware, Green Man and Beautiful Days haven't produced spikes in case numbers. On the other hand I expect that there will be spikes associated with Creamfields, Reading and Leeds this weekend because they have a younger, unvaccinated, audience. 

[Vamagus]

We’ve decided no regrets whatever happens. 
 

if I’m going to catch it better at EOTR than Tesco

[Muddy Holly]

We were also at Green Man, daughter down the front or in mosh pits throughout, son hanging back and finding space at sides or rear of stages and I split my time between the two of them - all of us came back unscathed and without COVID.

 

Everyone needs to do what they are comfortable with, my view is that a handful of people might be at EOTR spreading COVID (without knowing), so the less people you are in close contact with over the weekend - the less likely you’ll be near enough to one of them of them to catch it.  No guarantees of course, but a few sensible adjustments to usual routines and chances are you’ll be OK.

 

Getting down the barriers early actually felt OK, wide open space in front of you and a handful of people immediately next to or behind you, whereas stood in the middle or at back was just an endless succession of people walking past or stopping for a few minutes right next to you.

 

Hope everyone has a great time and returns home safe and well.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Muddy Holly
Typo

[xxialac]

Coach company has just sent me an email “You are expected to wear a face covering on board the coach, unless exempt”

Planes are basically flying coaches (but with better air circulation) and there’s a reason a mask is mandatory…

[scatteredscreens]

1 hour ago, xxialac said:

Coach company has just sent me an email “You are expected to wear a face covering on board the coach, unless exempt”

Planes are basically flying coaches (but with better air circulation) and there’s a reason a mask is mandatory…

Yeah I've just received this from National Express too. However I doubt it would be enforced.

[snipe]

If anyone is coming from Ireland btw you don't need to do the tests and passenger locator form. Search for Ireland here. I was in a fuss trying to figure out what the hell Ryanair were saying as I'd previously seen no requirements and then they started saying this was necessary.   We're not in the red/amber/green thing. I had thought we were green but we have our own special designation.   Green travellers need to do a locator form and a day 2 test (which are bloody expensive!) so be careful if you've not got this all sorted yet.

[bawlee]

Went to Latitude. Almost always down at the front with kids. My unvaxxed teens tested positive, us oldies (almost 50), were fine.

Did a day at Leeds festival at the weekend - demographic looks very similar to Boardmasters. I played it very careful. No stages in tents, 2 metres from people nearly all of the time etc. Certainly didn’t want a positive test this week.
 

EOTR we’ll be right in the thick of it again (Hopefully)

[majormajormajor]

21 hours ago, scattered_screens said:

Yeah I've just received this from National Express too. However I doubt it would be enforced.

Coach from GM back to London was an unmasked free-for-all, people coughing and spluttering the whole way back. Didn't get Covid though.

Imagine being an anti-vaxxer.

[changingman]

Tested positive yesterday so that's me and my wife out for this year 😟

[scatteredscreens]

8 minutes ago, changingman said:

Tested positive yesterday so that's me and my wife out for this year 😟

yikes, sorry to hear that man 😞 

Edited August 31, 2021 by scattered_screens