There are times when civic sense must become a priority. We have been following closely the current situation with the new Coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 and its fast and relentless spread across borders; we have been keeping updated with the policies released by Public Health England and the Government; we have observed choices made by other countries. And following the example of several other respectable event organisers we have decided to temporarily suspend our weekly milonga and Tango classes in London Bridge until this infectious wave eases off.
We believe that preserving our Tango community must be a more important focus at the moment, and in the longer term limiting the risks for dancers will be a much more rewarding course of action, in particular considering the demographics and the highly dynamic character of this community.
COVID-19 is primarily an airborne disease, which means that the virus can be transmitted via tiny water droplets released as we breathe. Although good hygiene will definitely help containing the infection (such as washing hands and avoiding unprotected coughing or sneezing), this may still not be enough to prevent viral transmission while dancing tango together, while breathing each other’s air in such a tight physical closeness. Further to this, COVID-19 may be asymptomatic and infected individuals may be infectious to others even without realising it.
Ultimately, rather than promising (and failing) to guarantee a sense of security in the form of sanitising hand gels and endless provisions of hand-washing soap, we have chosen a simpler approach to play a part in attempting to limit the spread of infection, i.e. limiting/preventing exchange of virus by limiting/preventing interpersonal contact. It’s a small sacrifice we should all try to make.
We sincerely hope to be able to re-start our Tango evenings soon, and in the meanwhile we wish you all the best from TangoBridgeUK.
Antonio