Even a party that is supposedly COVID-free may not actually be, as more than 160 partygoers in the Netherlands learned recently.
In order to get into the June 26 party at the Aspen Valley nightclub in Enschede, attendees had to show proof that they were COVID-free, meaning they needed to provide a negative COVID-19 test or evidence of their completed COVID-19 vaccine doses in the form of a QR code, The Daily Beast explains. No face masks or social distancing were required, which is in line with local health guidelines.
As lockdown restrictions ease up, the Netherlands uses an entry pass policy for events like this. According to the policy, people who are attending an event will need to provide proof of vaccination, proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 40 hours of the event, or proof of recovery from a coronavirus infection less than six months ago. But the venue or event organizer is responsible for checking the validity of the entry passes.
Out of 650 people who attended the gathering, at least 165 have since tested positive for COVID-19. Other estimates say that as many as 180 attendees got a positive COVID-19 test after the party and that there were actually 800 attendees, Business Insider reports.
Health authorities speculated that some people showed screenshots of other people’s test results to gain entry to the party. But even a genuine negative COVID-19 test result isn’t a guarantee of safety. All COVID-19 tests have the potential to return false-negative results, meaning that someone has a coronavirus infection but the test results say they don’t. That’s more likely to happen earlier on in the infection, possibly before there are noticeable symptoms.
So coronavirus tests are most helpful when used to diagnose someone who has symptoms of the infection or for widespread frequent testing alongside other public health measures, like getting vaccinated, wearing masks, and social distancing. Even when you have a single negative COVID-19 test, it’s still safest to continue using those other tools—especially at indoor events with tons of people.