Distancing not needed at big events, PM to be told
Report to say crowds can return from June 21 after trials with fans found no increase in Covid cases
SOCIAL distancing can be scrapped from June 21 for large events, the Prime Minister will be told next week, after initial results from a pilot scheme found no spike in Covid cases among attendees.
An interim report into the reopening trials will advise Boris Johnson that crowds can return safely and without social distancing, provided measures such as staggering entries and good ventilation are put in place.
Government scientists have been monitoring the impact of letting fans back into the FA Cup semi-final, Carabao Cup final and the snooker World Championships.
Conclusions based on the early data are contained in the report and covering note to be given to ministers next week, details of which The Daily Telegraph has obtained.
The science board on the Events Research Programme, which is being run by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has found that many of the protective measures put in place in the trial events appear to be working.
It is the clearest indication since Mr
Johnson revealed his roadmap in February that sports events, theatres, cinemas and business conferences can reopen again with packed crowds in June.
A source familiar with the report said ministers will be told the pilots have shown “there are some effective ways to manage risk that could remove the need to have social distancing at events”.
The mitigating measures to be named in the report include staggered entry times, clear communication with attendees and better ventilation at indoor venues.
The conclusions will be framed as an “initial view” from scientists, with more pilot events coming next month, as well as reflecting the low levels of Covid-19 currently in the country.
A string of much-anticipated decisions about the shape of life in Britain for the rest of the year are expected in the next two months.
Rows are already playing out about when and how borders will reopen for summer holidays, why vaccinated people cannot enjoy more freedoms and the degree to which Covid “passports” should be used within the UK.
Yesterday it emerged British and foreign tourists with a “health pass” – either offering proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test – will be able to visit France again from June 9, according to leaked plans.
Two major stages remain in Mr Johnson’s reopening “roadmap” – May 17, when indoor mixing will be allowed again and the overseas holiday ban could lift; and June 21, when the vast majority of other restrictions are expected to end.
Throughout April and May the Government has been trialling the reopening of events with large crowds, both indoor and outdoor, in the hope of allowing full reopenings from June 21.
The events were designed in conjunction with government scientists who monitor everything from Covid case levels and air flow, to crowd behaviour and points of gathering.
Already 4,000 people have attended the FA Cup semi-final and 8,000 people
were at the Carabao Cup final, both at Wembley earlier this month.
Up to 1,000 people a day have also gone to the snooker World Championships at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, an event venue. The competition started on April 17.
Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, is expected to be visiting the Crucible today to watch the final stages of the snooker.
It is understood that – while data is still coming in and more events are taking place in the coming weeks – there has been no alarming spike in Covid cases among participants.
The interim report from the science board monitoring the events crunches the data that has emerged, detailing findings and possible learnings.
A heavy emphasis has been put on testing. For each trial, participants must take both a PCR test and a lateral flow test before and after the event.
The report is understood to make clear that testing would likely be a key part of reopening large events. How that would work is still being worked out. Concerns are raised about people having to take lateral flow tests the day before the events, with fears that would be too high a barrier for some participants.
When the reopenings eventually happen, attendees would not have to take PCR tests. That feature is only in place for the trials to ensure no new cases are missed.
The recommendations to Government ministers offer a hint of what experience might await people when football matches, theatres and business conferences reopen.
People’s entry into venues might be staggered by time to avoid bunching up in corridors and doorways. More fan machines could be put around venues to ensure air flow remains high.
The upside is that people could be able to sit alongside each other in big groups, bringing back the sense of cohesion many football fans say they have missed during lockdown.
People may still have to wear face masks, however. A separate review into wider social distancing rules beyond just large events is ongoing and is due to report back by June 21.
David Ross, the Carphone warehouse founder, and Sir Nicholas Hytner, the theatre director, are advising the Prime Minister on the reopening of large events.
Ultimately, final decisions will lie with Mr Johnson, who is likely to wait on the data from pilot events coming next month before announcing the path forwards.