800 people claimed they were 'COVID-free' or vaccinated for a dance party in the Netherlands. Now 180 people have tested positive.

• A Dutch party is emerging as a superspreader event after 180 attendees tested positive for COVID-19.
• Partygoers were required to demonstrate they were uninfected or vaccinated to get a ticket.
• The event appears to show potential flaws in reopening measures.

A self-styled "COVID-free" party in the Netherlands, which was attended by 800 people, has been connected to 180 infections from the virus, according to multiple reports.

The reopening party of Aspen Valley bar in Enschede, in the eastern Netherlands, on June 26 required a "corona admission ticket," which were presold once partygoers had confirmed their status as either vaccinated or uninfected.

Social distancing and mask-wearing was not required at the party, the local newspaper Tubantia reported.

The event has exposed potential flaws in Dutch measures for reopening nightlife safely, and highlights the difficulty and risks that come with reopening events around the world.

The Dutch bar was working under a scheme known as "test for entry," according to the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant. Under that scheme, a QR code is sent to people who have a negative test, which is then scanned by the venue.

"Prepare carefully and read through all the rules carefully to avoid disappointment," a Facebook flier for the event read. "This is how we help each other to finally make it a great party again!"

An unnamed local official speaking to Dutch TV network RTL Nieuws acknowledged rumors that "the club concerned has not adhered to all the measures," without specifying what they were.

The official also noted that the partygoers could have shared QR codes showing a negative test between themselves.

Authorities have recorded 180 positive tests since the event, which nearly 800 people attended, the local TV station RTV Oost reported.

Enschede's municipal health organization, GGD Twente, has launched a contact-tracing drive since the infections were reported, and the authority has called on everyone who went to the party to get tested.

Aspen Valley did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, but the bar's owner, Tommy de Groot, told RTV Oost: "We really did everything we could to arrange everything properly and then this happens to you."

The bar has been closed for the foreseeable future, the channel reported.