Fieldlab Events will carry out its ninth practical investigation on Saturday 27 March. This will take place during the World Cup Qualifier between the Netherlands and Latvia in the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam. There will be 5000 spectators present at the match, who will be divided into nine different bubbles for the research, with a different set of measures being tested per bubble.
Research bubbles
As in previous Fieldlab research, a number of research bubbles will be used during Netherlands-Latvia. Per bubble, possible scenarios and behavioural elements for the reception of public on grandstands of large-scale events will be tested, without taking into account the 1.5 metres distance. For example, different ways of seating, for example in order of entry, different seating patterns and separation of arrival times.
In two bubbles, a so-called UEFA protocol is used with a capacity of 50 and 75% occupancy respectively. Based on the earlier research at N.E.C., the impression is created that these protocols seem to work well. In the ArenA, this will be further tested in practice on a larger scale.
It also investigates contact duration and contact moments. Attention is also paid to the influence of, for example, cheering and singing by the visitors. Besides the tags that bureau Franken has used for this and previous pilots to measure contact moments and contact duration, additional practical tests are taking place with two innovative tags for close contact data and communication. Also, at various places in the ArenA, the air quality, people flow and disinfection with UV-C are monitored via a digital control room and via Calculus dashbaording.
In addition, one of the bubbles contains the scientific research project led by TU Eindhoven into the dispersion of aerosols in the air. The project studies the build-up of aerosol concentrations in a stadium and the effectiveness of measures to reduce these aerosol concentrations. In December, the first measurements were taken in the ArenA without an audience, using artificial aerosol generators.
The Fieldlab research also focuses on the use of quick tests in combination with the CoronaCheck App, which serves as a check to see if a visitor has a negative test result. This part will be shaped with the Stichting OpenNL, which will coordinate the decentralised quick tests, all of which will take place on the day of the competition.
