A pilot scheme exploring the impact of large-scale events on COVID-19 transmission has found “no substantial outbreaks,” recording 28 associated cases of infection out of tens of thousands of participants, according to a new report. The Events Research Programme (ERP), commissioned by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in February, saw 58,000 participants attend indoor and outdoor venues across the country, including in Liverpool, Sheffield, and London. The ERP aims to assess the safety of mass gatherings during the pandemic and whether they affect rates of infection. A delayed report on data from the first nine pilots of the ERP’s first phase in April and May, which featured the FA Cup final, the Brit Awards, and the World Snooker Championship, revealed 28 associated positive cases of COVID-19. Of these, 11 were identified as “potentially infectious at an event” while a further 17 were “potentially infected at or around the time of an …