Fieldlab: Experiment results show public events can be held safely

Fieldlab announced on Monday that it is of the opinion that public events can be organized safely, NOS reported. The organization conducted a series of pilot events in recent months, and said it has collected sufficient data to show how events may be held. They said it is now up to the politicians to take the next step forward.

Events, performances and conferences can only be organized safely when a number of safety measures are met, Fieldlab program Pieter Lubberts stressed. He argued that a some social gatherings could even allow for social distancing rules to be abolished. These are so-called type 1 events, which take place indoors and in a seated environment.

"We have seen that in certain phases at events where you have fewer contacts, such as a theater or football match, you can even safely let go of the 1.5 meter rule," he said.

According to Lubberts, while social distancing may not be necessary at these events, they still should be organized with only half of the capacity and with proper ventilation systems. Attendees must get tested beforehand and wear a face mask when unseated, and moving through the venue, he said.

Even with the most recent findings, the organization stressed it does not claim events organized during the pandemic will ever be 100% safe. "We will never claim that because there will always be a risk of infected people coming to an event. But we are looking at how to do that as safely as possible and we have found that it can be done," said Lubberts.

Filedlab added that they would continue conducting test events in the future while awaiting a decision from the Cabinet regarding the future of events in various sectors. 

"In the meantime, we will continue, because we fight for a sector in which 100,000 people work. But also regarding the social aspect, for people who would like to go somewhere again," Lubberts added.