Western Cape festival confirms case of COVID-19

A festival in the Western Cape that took place over the weekend on March 13-15 has confirmed that a male attendee tested positive for the coronavirus after having attended the event.

Bazique Festival took place on a farm in Paarl and according to the Facebook event post, approximately 1 000 people were earmarked to attend.

Bazique has been criticised on social media for continuing to go ahead in light of confirmed cases in South Africa. A decorative sign at the festival read “Welcome to the last festival on Earth.”

 

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Last weekend we attended what is most possibly the Last Festival on Earth at this time! We were out in nature in our own world relaxing and dancing like we are on our own island. The end of the weekend we arrived back to reality with the South African Presidents speech of how to combat and stay safe during Corona Virus Times ! The festival currently has no confirmed cases of the virus. . . . . #bazique #baziquefestival #bazique2020 #baziquefestival2020 #southafrica #southafricanoutdoors #southafricanfestival #southafrican #outdoorsfestival #southafricanscenery #lastfestival #lastfestivalonearth #southafricansunshine @baziquefestival

A post shared by NY~USA.Gener (@genaemaree) on Mar 17, 2020 at 6:17am PDT

The event organisers confirmed in a Facebook post that one of the attendees, a “South African male”, had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. They explained that he had just attended the event on Sunday March 15.

“Hi Bazique Fam, there was a South African male at the festival on Sunday between 11am – 7pm who has tested positive for Coronavirus. He was not at the Festival at all on either the Friday or the Saturday and so was not in any of the enclosed spaces – he was only at the outdoor Beach Bar Stage and only on Sunday afternoon. We have spoken to him in person and currently he is not showing any of the usual symptoms and has said he is feeling OK at the moment. There is no certainty that he was positive at the festival – he may have contracted the disease after the event – however, we have made a commitment to keeping our community informed and so are doing so. We recommend observing the current Government issued guidelines about self isolating how to best conduct ourselves in these difficult times.”

If you attended the festival, it is in the best interest of your family and friends to self-quarantine. The virus has a 14-day incubation period and if you have contracted it, you will be putting those around you at risk.

If you have flu-like symptoms and have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19, please contact the provincial hotline on 021 928 4102 for advice on what to do next. Always get a second opinion if you are at all concerned.

The contact details of other emergency hotlines are:

National hotline: 0800 029 999
Provincial hotline: 021 928 4102
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp “Hi” to 0600 123 456

Image: Unsplash