The U.K. has recorded only 28 positive COVID-19 cases correlated to pilot events that hosted roughly 58,000 attendees.
A report from the U.K. government’s Event Research Programme (ERP) was published last Friday detailing the data from nightclub events, the BRIT Awards, the FA Cup Final, and other mass gatherings. While the results look promising, the ERP has warned that the numbers may be skewed due to the low number of PCR tests returned after the events. Less than half of attendees at Liverpool pilot events reportedly returned their PCR test results, and overall, only 15% of attendees returned results at all.
Results cover the first series of pilot events, which ran up until May 15th. More recent events like Download Festival and Royal Ascot‘s horse races are not included in the initial report, so the ERP will have clearer data once the next report is compiled.
The U.K. nightlife sector currently remains locked down. Originally, nightclubs and other similar establishments were slated to reopen on June 21st, but the lift on COVID-19 restrictions has now been postponed to July 19th. Protesters took to the streets of central London on Sunday to demonstrate their desire for the restrictions to be lifted in Save Our Scene‘s #FreedomToDance marches, where 23 people were arrested.
“We are being marginalized by a Government that has no regard or value for our sector, we have businesses suffering, people’s livelihoods destroyed and youth culture excluded,” said Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association. “It’s time to give us the certainty that we have been crying out for, and open the nighttime economy fully, no more excuses.”
