Coronavirus: Germany holds crowded “ study concerts ” with Tim Bendzko

Three pop concerts are being held in one day in Germany to allow scientists to investigate the risks of such mass indoor events during the pandemic.

Some 4,000 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 50 were invited to enroll in Saturday’s study in Leipzig, conducted by the University of Halle.

Singer-songwriter Tim Bendzko has agreed to perform at three successive concerts.

The study came as Germany recorded its highest number of Covid-19 infections since the end of April.

More than 2,000 cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 232,082, the Robert Koch Institute reported.

The concert study, called Restart-19, was created “to investigate the conditions under which such events can be carried out despite the pandemic,” the researchers said.

Scientists were planning to run three different scenarios with some 4,000 visitors at the Quarterback Immobilien Arena in Leipzig during Saturday.

The first aims to simulate an event before the pandemic; the second with greater hygiene and a certain social distancing; and the third with half the numbers and with each person standing 1.5m apart.

Each staged scenario involves arrivals and departures from the stadium and performances by Tim Bendzko “in order to portray spectator behavior as realistically as possible”.

All participants are tested for Covid-19 and are given face masks and trackers to measure their distance. The exact number of volunteers who showed up to participate remains uncertain.

Researchers use fluorescent disinfectants to track which surfaces members of the public touch the most, and also monitor exhaled aerosol particles floating in the air – a possible mode of transmission of the virus.

The project received funding of € 990,000 (£ 892,000, $ 1.17 million) from the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony to help pave the way for the resumption of major sporting and musical events in room by establishing realistic risk levels.

“The corona pandemic is crippling the event industry,” Saxony-Anhalt Minister of Economy and Science Professor Armin Willingmann said ahead of the event.

“As long as there is a risk of infection, large concerts, trade shows and sporting events cannot take place. This is why it is so important to know which technical and organizational conditions can effectively minimize the risks.”