Bad Bunny Concert Called ‘Super-Spreader’ In Puerto Rico — 4,600% Increase in COVID Cases

Photo Credit: Bad Bunny

A Bad Bunny concert in Puerto Rico is being called a super-spreader event.

The New York Times reports that Puerto Rico is facing a 4,600% increase in new coronavirus cases. Around 2,000 people have reported becoming ill after attending the Bad Bunny concert – where a crowd of 60,000 gathered. Around three-quarters of the adult population in Puerto Rico has received at least two vaccine doses.

“The concert was one of a series of business events, company holiday parties, and family gatherings that fueled a 4,600% increase in cases on the island, a surge that public health officials worry could linger into the New Year,” The New York Times report reads.

The Bad Bunny concert took place on December 10 and December 11 at the Estadio Hiram Bithorn, and strict COVID-19 protocols were in place. “Those who don’t wear a mask will be removed from the event and fined $100,” the organizers of the event said.

But Billboard reports that while Bad Bunny concert attendees did follow those rules inside the stadium, once outside, they ditched the masks.

“On the event’s first night when Billboard was in attendance, the majority of attendees ditched their masks once at their seats,” Billboard notes. Billboard also reports that staff was strict about checking COVID-19 vaccination status at the entrance, but the mask mandate was not enforced once inside.

“Daily cases per 100,000 people in Puerto Rico jumped from 3 to 225 in just three weeks, and hospitalizations are starting to increase,” tweeted Rafael Irizarry, a Harvard University statistician who records COVID-19 data.

“I first noticed something going on on December 13, and I alerted the Department of Health,” Irizarry told The New York Times. “By the 14 and 15, it was obvious. I called the guy who runs the database and said, ‘Is there some kind of glitch in the database?’”

COVID-19 protocols on the island are going into stricter measures. Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi has ordered restaurants to reduce capacity. Large public events like the Bad Bunny concert require vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test. Passengers who arrive on the island must show a negative test taken within 48 hours before their arrival, regardless of their vaccination status.