Nightclubs and music venues will reportedly be allowed to reopen next month without punters having to take Covid tests or show vaccine passports.
According to the Evening Standard, a major review into reopening clubs on July 19 is being led by Michael Gove, who believes that testing will prove to be “too much hassle” for both the public and businesses.
A government source told the publication: “We are increasingly confident that people are protected and the plan is to reopen everything, with no exceptions.”
The decision has been widely hailed by leading figures in the nighttime economy, including Nighttimes Industries Association CEO Michael Kill.
“If you are in a late-night London pub and thinking of going on to the club around the corner, there’s a good chance that having to take a test would make you question whether to bother,” he said.
The decision follows the success of England’s Covid vaccination programme, as well as pilot events to determine the safe reopening of live music.
It was revealed last week that just 28 out of the 58,000 people who attended pilot events researching the impact of large-scale gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic tested positive for the virus.
The live music industry subsequently led to demands that the UK government reopens live events as a matter of immediate importance.
The news follows industry figures criticising the government for failing to provide festivals with insurance, which would help get live entertainment back on its feet safely.
Festivals including Truck and Kendall Calling announced the cancellation of their July events last week, following the delay to the government’s final exit out of lockdown restrictions, lack of published data and general lack of guidance. A new survey revealed that half of UK festivals have now been cancelled this year.
However, both Latitude Festival and Tramlines will go ahead at full capacity next month as part of the government’s Events Research Programme.
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