Barcelona's Cruïlla Festival to test 25,000 people for Covid-19 per day

Barcelona's Cruïlla, one of the Catalan capital's major music festivals that will still take place this year, is gearing up to carry out 25,000 antigen tests per day from July 8 to 10.

"This has never been done before," says festival director Jordi Herreruela, who acknowledges he feels the "pressure" of making sure Covid-19 health and safety protocols are respected, especially after maskless crowds were seen at Vida Festival last weekend. 

According to him, if their strategy is successful, it would demonstrate that "testing Catalonia's entire population in a week would be possible."

200 nursing assistants will be in charge of carrying out the tests every day, while another 100 will validate the test results.

Attendees will be called to Barcelona's International Conventions Center (CCIB), next to the Parc del Fòrum where the festival will take place, to get tested before being allowed in. The process itself is expected to take 45 minutes — 30 to access the CCIB and get tested and another 15 to receive the results. 

Organizers expect to possibly detect 350 to 400 positive cases in total, which they say will help to "prevent a further 3,000 to 5,000 cases."

There will also be 150 members of staff tasked with ensuring face masks are worn within the festival premises when safety distances cannot be kept. They will also make sure no food or beverages are consumed closer to stages, where crowds tend to gather the most. 

Herreruela believes the Apolo and Palau Sant Jordi concert clinical trials demonstrate that social distancing is not necessary when masked and tested. "The tricky part is getting everyone tested, not afterward," he said.