Royal Ascot produced 50 Covid cases as government claims mass events are safe

Government figures released on Friday showed 50 cases of Covid-19 were recorded through NHS Test and Trace from Royal Ascot, which was one of the trial events in the run-up to the easing of lockdown.

Ascot was given clearance to have the largest crowds since last year's Cheltenham Festival by taking part in the government's Events Research Programme (ERP), with 49,319 tickets used over the five days.

Eleven cases were likely to have already been infectious around the time of the event, with 39 cases likely to have acquired an infection around the meeting

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The numbers compared favourably to the 585 cases recorded by NHS Test and Trace at the time of the British Grand Prix in July, which hosted the largest crowd in the UK in more than 18 months with more than 350,000 people in attendance across three days.

Data from Wimbledon, which hosted around 300,000 people over a two-week period, recorded 881 cases through NHS Test and Trace.

The figures contrasted starkly with the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy at Wembley, when data showed that 2,295 people in or around the stadium were likely to have been infectious at the time of the event, with an additional 3,404 people in and around the stadium potentially acquiring infection around the time of the event. The official attendance was 67,173 but the actual number in the stadium was far higher as ticketless fans broke in.

The government claimed the data, drawn from the 37 trial events that formed the ERP over a four-month period, had shown mass events could take place safely, with case numbers largely in line with or below community infection rates for the duration of the programme.

However, it warned a "cautious approach" should be taken at "unstructured" events involving attendees being in close proximity for extended periods of time, when spectators are at high-density pinch points at venues, when travelling to and from events, and when mixing indoors before, during and after events.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said: "We've shown that we can reintroduce mass sports and cultural events safely but it is important that people remain cautious when mixing in very crowded settings.

"So that we can keep the football season, theatres and gigs safe with full crowds this winter, I urge sport, music and culture fans to get the vaccine as this is the safest way we can get big events firing on all cylinders once more."

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