Rage festival report: two people knew they had Covid-19, but still went to the event

Revelers at a Rage festival.

• The NICD revealed that two attendees tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 prior to the Rage, but still proceeded to attend the event.
• The report said that several revelers attended other events and private parties before going to the festival.
• The masks were not worn all the time during the Rage.

Two revelers, who attended the annual matric Rage festival in KwaZulu-Natal, tested positive before the event, but still decided to attend.

Subsequently, 848 people at the event tested positive for Covid-19.

This is according to the report published by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD).

Of the people who tested positive, 846 were revelers, while two were members of the Rage crew.

The NICD launched an investigation after receiving an alert from a Hillcrest doctor in KwaZulu-Natal, regarding several cases of Covid-19 among young people who attended a Rage festival in Ballito.

The NICD wanted to determine the existence of a Covid-19 group related to attending the event.

The center conducted a retrospective cohort investigation of 2,253 festival-goers, of whom 1,954 were revelers and 299 were Rage members.

“The investigation revealed that two of the Rage attendees tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 prior to the Rage, but still proceeded to attend the event. This indicates a lack of discipline and irresponsible risk behavior among revelers, as that there is little or no adherence to recommended prevention measures.

This was also demonstrated by the Tin Roof party ‘outreach event’ in the Western Cape in October. Such entertainment gatherings should be considered unnecessary and prohibited during the outbreak period as they influence and contribute to the increase in community transmission, undermining mitigation efforts implemented to contain the virus. “

The report also indicated that several Rage revelers attended other non-Rage private events and parties prior to going to the festival.

READ | Almost 1000 attendees of the Gauteng Rage festival test positive for Covid-19

The report further states that, although the use of face masks was mandatory at the festival, with hand sanitizers available, social distancing and the use of masks were compromised in most of the gatherings that took place before the Rabies, and also that the masks were not worn all the time during The Fury.

Rage is an annual South African electronic music festival held to coincide with the end of the South African matriculation final exam.

The NICD report further indicated that factors, such as mass gatherings without the use of adequate personal protective equipment, crowded spaces, lack of hygiene and ventilation, and greater social inhibition due to alcohol consumption, may have produced an environment conducive to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. during these meetings.

The age of the people who attended the Rage festival ranged from 15 to 58 years old.