Latitude: Enjoy yourself but be Covid aware
That's the message from Public Health England for festival-goers.
Thousands of people are flocking to Henham Park in Suffolk for Latitude Festival, and the message from Public Health England is to have fun, but stay safe.
The four-day music event which kicks off today (Thursday 22nd July) is the first major festival to happen this summer.
Anyone attending the festival, aged over 11, has to provide proof of a double vaccination, a negative lateral flow test, or natural immunity - so a positive PCR test within 180 days of the event followed by 10 days isolation.
Public Health England says it's not just Covid-19 that festival goers have to be wary of as they gather in large groups though, as other germs and infections may circulate in the heat and where there is closer contact with others.
They say many of those can be avoided by following some simple tips:
Shylaja Thomas, Consultant in Health Protection, PHE East, said: "Although COVID restrictions have lifted, we need to be mindful that many of us have not been to a huge gathering of people for over 18 months. COVID is still circulating in our communities and we are seeing cases rates increasing across the region so it's advisable to wear face coverings when indoors, be aware of distances between people and most of all in a festival environment, wash hands regularly.
"Norovirus is very unpleasant, causing sickness and diarrhoea so definitely not a festival-friendly bug. It easily passes between people or from touching contaminated surfaces so remember to keep those hands washed regularly.
"We want people to have a good time at this festival as well as other events that are due to be held across the East, and hope by following a few simple steps, everyone will benefit from us all protecting each other."