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London Marathon 2020

60 watchers
May 2020
11:11am, 30 May 2020
64,238 posts
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swittle
With the Cheltenham Festival and a Champions' League match in Liverpool being quoted as causes of spikes in infection, VLM could learn a very useful lesson about preserving its reputation.
May 2020
1:37pm, 30 May 2020
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larkim
Have they put any figures against the Liverpool match though? I know they are anecdotally quoted as being “bad ideas” but in the Liverpool match in particular it was the concept of Spanish fans being allowed in being the key factor. It’s always felt a bit unfair singling out that one match on 11th March when there was a full fixture list on 7th,8th,9th March in the Premier League, plus all of the lower leagues etc. I know a couple of days can make a difference, but the magnitude of numbers of fans in the weekend fixtures vs the one match on the 11th would suggest that the weekend fixtures spread the virus more than the one match did (accepting that that one match might have been a hotspot because of the injection of the Spanish fans).
May 2020
2:57pm, 30 May 2020
64,248 posts
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swittle
From a recent report on the matter:

'Professor Tim Spector, from King's College London, said the two events - held from 16 to 19 March and on 11 March respectively - had "caused increased suffering and death that wouldn't otherwise have occurred".'

news.sky.com

Two of Liverpool city council's senior officials, inc. Deputy Mayor, stood down earlier this week pending enquiries into possible breaches of lockdown, so, in terms of reputation, they've potentially damaged the city's, never mind their own.
bbc.co.uk
liverpoolecho.co.uk
May 2020
4:20pm, 30 May 2020
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♪♫ Synge ♪♫
The match between Atalanta and Valencia on 19 Feb is thought to have contributed to the spike in cases around Bergamo too. The way out for all mass sports events (whether spectators or participants) is not going to be easy.
May 2020
5:48pm, 30 May 2020
64,251 posts
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swittle
Agreed, Synge. To adapt Juvenal's famous phrase, the provision of 'hot dogs and football', while a form of appeasement, runs the risk of setting back the progress made.
May 2020
6:09pm, 30 May 2020
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larkim
I know they said "some" but they've been coy about putting a number on it. In the ground the Spanish fans would have been in close proximity to other Spanish fans in the main. Of course, they would have been around the city too and if any were infected that could have passed it on.

I still think it's unfair to tag that one game as being the issue if we're using the argument that collections of spectators are a risk; putting aside the fact that it might have been more "seeded" with infection than others, there would have been 500,000+ people in football stadiums just a couple of days before. 50000 Liverpool fans + 6000 Spanish fans shouldn't be carrying the can for being a hotbed of infection. Boroughs like Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley etc didn't really see disproportionate levels of infection did they?
May 2020
6:34pm, 30 May 2020
64,255 posts
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swittle
You'd need to take that argument up with the prof.

Manchester-based Urbix carried out borough-level analyses of excess deaths, reported in the 'Liverpool Echo'-

liverpoolecho.co.uk
May 2020
6:36pm, 30 May 2020
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swittle
Positive diagnoses.

liverpoolecho.co.uk
May 2020
9:53pm, 30 May 2020
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larkim
That urbix stuff is a bit of local nonsense though. Given that the UK overall death rate is close to double the normal rate everywhere, that picture of Liverpool is probably replicated throughout the country. It's just that the Echo is publishing it to it's local population for column inches.

Anyway, I doubt there's any real doubt that big congregations potentially cause infections. I just think that one match is being held up as badly timed, but that's the govt's fault.
May 2020
10:01pm, 30 May 2020
64,261 posts
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swittle
Well, that's one view, I suppose. Broadsheets do similar but on a scale that sidelines the regions.

Your post brings us full circle. Re neutral grounds for EPL matches, Merseyside Police says it can cope with derby games and title deciders at Anfield or Goodison. No shortage of space around both grounds for tens of thousands to gather.

Cheltenham - v difficult to justify it going ahead: crowds, drink, high spirits.....

Too late now.

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Maintained by larkim
Endless discussion about will it happen, won't it happen for VMLM 2020
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