450 people stopped from being at Boardmasters or left early after Covid pass checks
Organisers have issued an updated statement as almost 5,000 cases are linked to the festival
Last updated 24th Aug 2021
The organisers of Boardmasters have issued an updated statement on coronavirus, after a spike in cases in Cornwall.
On Monday (August 23rd) Public Health officials revealed around 4,700 cases could be linked to the festival.
A briefing confirmed around three quarters of those were young people.
Boardmasters says it worked closely with the Public Health Team from Cornwall Council on risk management measures.
Those included the use of the NHS Covid Pass system, which detected over 450 people who would otherwise have been at risk of passing on the virus.
They either did not attend the festival or left early.
Organisers say they will continue to work with officials to understand the extent to which the event has contributed to the figures.
The statement from Boardmasters reads: "Since the government allowed live events to return, we have worked closely with Cornwall Council's public health team, putting in place risk management measures above and beyond national guidelines.
"These included use of the NHS Covid Pass as a condition of entry, which was introduced during the Government Events Research Programme earlier this year and is being recommended as best-practice at other large events.
"The system detected over 450 people who would otherwise have been at risk of passing on the virus and as a result did not attend our Watergate Bay site or left the festival early.
"We are grateful to them and everyone else who took the extra steps this year.
"No event is able to eliminate risk entirely and the latest Test & Trace data includes reported infections among the 76,000 people who visited the festival or related activities at Fistral Beach, in Newquay and the wider area during the week of Boardmasters.
"We will continue to work with our public health partners to understand the extent to which attendance at the festival has contributed to the figures.
"We look forward to sharing our experience with our local authority partners and other large events so we can all continue to provide much needed economic benefit to our communities and entertainment to our loyal audiences".