Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
COVID-19 caseshave jumped up 139% in the last two weeks in Riverside County, California, after hosting the2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festivalfor two weekends.
Coachella attracted an estimated 750,000 people to the California desert for the festival, which took place over two weekends; April 15 to 17 and April 22 to 24. This was the first year back after the 2020 and 2021 festivals were canceled due to the pandemic.
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The festival is held outside,but did not require proof of vaccination, testing or masks for attendees. And throughout the two weekends, many brands like Revolve and Spotify hold their own parties at homes and venues in the area.
Onthe Coachella site, the festival’s parent company, Goldenvoice, warned that attendees could contract COVID-19.
“There is an inherent and elevated risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any public place or place where people are present and there is no guarantee, express or implied, that those attending the festival will not be exposed to COVID-19,” they said.
PEOPLE has reached out to Goldenvoice for comment.
TheStagecoach country music festivalbrought around 80,000 people to Riverside again this past weekend, and had also dropped all COVID safety precautions.
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.
source: people.com
