The annual Oktoberfest was held in Sittard between 21 and 26 October. Traditionally, this festival attracts many thousands of visitors. A spokeswoman could not give a number, but ‘it was noticeable that it was considerably busier than previous years’.
In addition to Sittard-Geleen and Echt-Susteren, the relatively high number of new infections in Beek is also striking: 234 per 100,000 inhabitants and 37 in absolute numbers. In Sittard-Geleen and Echt-Susteren there are 312 and 98 confirmed cases of illness.
Limited research
The GGD Zuid-Limburg – the source of the figures published by the RIVM – says it cannot make a firm statement about a link between the peaking number of infections and the Oktoberfest. “It is indeed striking, but because we are only doing very limited source and contact research, we do not know exactly where people who test positive have become infected. In a general sense, it is of course true that wherever many people come together and are close to each other, the risk of spreading the virus is greater.” For the time being, the GGD sees no reason to further explore the data.
The Oktoberfest is organized by the municipality. When asked to what extent special attention was paid to corona during this edition, the spokeswoman for Alderman Andries Houtakkers says that “the party is organized as it is allowed according to the current rules: that means without restrictions.”
Last year, Sittard-Geleen opted for a slimmed-down celebration of the Oktoberfest, which was then called Wiesnfest. In the following days, the GGD Zuid-Limburg also saw a striking increase in the number of infections. At the time, “at least 254 infections” were linked to the festival through source and contact research.