Nightclubs across the United Kingdom remain under lockdown until July 19th, nearly a month after they were originally set to reopen on June 21.
The postponement was met by uproar from revelers, with some taking to the streets of central London to march in the #FreedomToDance march last week, after a series of pilot events by the Event Research Programme (ERP) showed promising results with only 28 reported COVID-19 cases among roughly 58,000 attendees. Now, a government source has reportedly shared that once clubs are allowed to reopen on July 19th, attendees will not be required to present negative COVID-19 test results or proof of vaccination.
“We are increasingly confident that people are protected and the plan is to reopen everything, with no exceptions,” the source said, according to The Standard. They also explained that requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test would be “too much hassle” for both attendees and employees of the nightlife sector. A formal decision on the matter will be made on July 12th, one week before the proposed reopening date for nightclubs in England.
While the July 19th date isn’t completely set in stone, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson shared that he felt “increasingly confident” that the plan would move forward with all restrictions being lifted. More pilot event data from the ERP has yet to be shared.
