DOZENS of new coronavirus cases in Herefordshire have been linked to Boardmasters festival in Cornwall.

Health officials said they are investigating 4,700 cases of coronavirus which are suspected to be linked to the Boardmasters festival, which took place in Cornwall nearly two weeks ago – and more than 80 cases have been found in Herefordshire.

Herefordshire Council said it had seen a rise in the number of cases who were likely exposed to Covid-19 at festivals, and more than 80 cases came two to seven days after being at the festival.

Dr Rebecca Howell-Jones, acting director of public health for Herefordshire, said there are measures people can take to both make sure festivals are safe events, and also protect their friends and family when they return home.

"You should not attend if you have symptoms or test positive for Covid-19. I would encourage everyone to take an LFD test before going to a festival – many festivals will require this or proof of vaccination as condition of entry.

"Case rates are very high, particularly in young adults. It is therefore very likely that some people at an event with large numbers of young people, such as a festival, will have Covid without knowing it.

"The usual measures can help keep you safe – limit the number of people you have close contact with, stay out of crowded areas, keep outdoors, wash your hands regularly and wear face-coverings in indoor areas.

"When you return from a festival, again take regular LFD tests, be vigilant for symptoms and, if possible, stay away from people who might be more vulnerable to Covid.

"Finally, if you haven't had your vaccination, take it up as soon as possible. Vaccination clinics have been run at local festivals, including Lakefest where over 100 people were vaccinated, and will be offered at Olliefest this weekend."

The all-ages festival, which included headliners Foals and Gorillaz, outlined its Covid-19 policy on its website.

It said the festival would ask all ticket-holders aged 11 and over to demonstrate their Covid-19 status through the NHS Covid Pass app before entering.

This meant attendees had to provide proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within 24 hours of arrival at the festival gates, proof of being vaccinated with both doses (with the second received at least 14 days before the festival), or proof of natural immunity following a positive PCR test (provided it had been at least 10 days and up to 180 days after taking the test).

People who camped at the festival had to take a second NHS lateral flow test during the event on Friday August 13 and log their results in the NHS Covid Pass app.

Attendees had to bring their own lateral flow tests. Face masks were not compulsory but were encouraged.

A spokesperson for Boardmasters said: "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 more than 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."

It came as an expert advising the Government said music festivals and schools returning would lead to a "significant surge" in Covid-19 infections causing concerns for medics,

A rise in cases as a result is "realistic" and will happen "despite best efforts" amid the spread of the dominant and more transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus, Professor Ravindra Gupta said.

The member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), who said he was speaking in a personal capacity, noted that some of the Government's pilot events earlier in the year – which were concluded to have shown "no substantial outbreaks" – had taken place when the Delta variant was not dominant and community transmission was relatively low.