Green Man: More than 70 Covid cases potentially linked to festival

More than 70 people may have caught coronavirus as a result of the Green Man Festival in the Brecon Beacons.

The festival was given the go ahead in July after it was forced to cancel last year leaving organisers with just four and a half weeks to set up the festival compared to the usual eight to ten weeks.

The four-day event - and Wales' largest festival - was attended by thousands of people with no social distancing restrictions while the country was under 'Level Zero'.

Public Health Wales is carrying out active public health surveillance around large events.

A spokesperson said: "Analysis of contact tracing data gathered by Test, Trace, Protect has identified 71 Welsh residents with confirmed coronavirus, where Green Man festival was reported as a possible exposure in the seven days before showing symptoms.

"However, it is important to note that these cases are not necessarily attributable to transmission at the festival, as Green Man would have been one of a number of exposures reported by cases prior to onset, including, for example: socialising outside the festival,  travel to and from the festival etc."

It comes as a health board in west Wales were forced to postpone some operations and close some wards due to an increase in coronavirus patients.

There has also been a warning issued on Anglesey as coronavirus cases there are "increasing at an alarming rate", according to the council.

People living on the island who have recently attended events like festivals or parties are being urged to take a lateral flow coronavirus test.

In August, Anglesey recorded their highest ever number of positive cases in one month since the pandemic began.

There were 585 positive cases on Anglesey during August, a record number in a single month since March 2020 when the pandemic started.

The leader of Anglesey Council, Cllr Llinos Medi, has urged people to keep taking steps to protect themselves from contracting the virus.

Cllr Medi said: "Covid-19 cases are increasing at an alarming rate on the Island, it is my duty to reiterate that everyone must take the necessary precautions to safeguard themselves and their community.

"I fully appreciate that the last 18 months have been incredibly tough and challenging for us all. We can’t let all this hard work go to waste. We must continue to be as vigilant as possible – Wear a face mask, keep a safe distance from others, wash your hands regularly and allow fresh air in.”