ywnjudy > Covid factor, as much as the jostling-crowd-factor unsafety factor.
there might be a correlation here. Presumably, many people listened to doctors, police, gedolim, parents .. so, the ones who went were to begin with, unsafe people. So, they were a little more unsafe there than a usual crowd.
The issues are even physically the same – in both cases – covid and crowds – the mitzva is to respect other people and stay away out of their private 4 amot, and actively protect them when needed.
Crowds trumpling on people happens, but having it happen ina Jewish crowd is almost like seeing them eating treif – not normal. It all starts with one person pushing (slightly) another, then 2nd person pushes third, and at the same time somewhere ahead there is an obstacle. But how could the first person move into the 2nd person’s space? and how the 2nd person did not have space between him and the next person, etc. Same issue as students of R Akiva – lack of respect to other people.