United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a big press conference earlier today discussing the steps his nation will take to reopen in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He announced a four step plan to detail how they will ease the lockdown. The plan included a provision that night clubs could open as soon as June 21st to begin "large" live events.
The four phases can be seen below. Outdoor entertainment can resume as soon as May 17th with 4,000 people or 50% capacity. Outdoor seated events would be allowed up to 10,000 people or 25% capacity.
The final phase of lockdown lifting would be as soon as June 21st and would have no legal limits on gathering and allow night clubs to open.
According to The Independent, the following four criteria have to be met to continue the opening of the country:
– The vaccine deployment program continues successfully
– Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalizations and deaths in those vaccinated
– Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalizations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS
– The assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants of the virus
Johnson indicated by June they would be able to have enough rapid testing kits to distribute them to clubs to ensure everybody entering does not have the virus.
“While the Prime Minister’s statement offers some green shoots of hope for live music, there is some way to go before we return to pre-pandemic levels of activity,” says David Martin, CEO Featured Artists Coalition. “A cautious approach is right to protect lives and reopening too early would be counter intuitive for the industry’s long-term outlook. However, the Government must adhere to its own advice, allowing data to guide decision making, so that we can return immediately when it is safe to do so.”
“Ahead of full reopening, Government has to learn from previous mistakes and listen to the industry. Last year’s slow response on income support and other financial assistance led to the closure of businesses and the loss of livelihoods. Today’s statement must be accompanied with comprehensive financial support for individuals plus insurance and businesses support measures, including an extension to the reduced VAT rate on event tickets. This will allow the music industry to bounce back effectively and contribute its full potential to the UK’s economic recovery.”
UK fans, will you be hitting the clubs as soon as they open?
[h/t Kerrang!]
