The event restart date of 1 October is to be reviewed, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced, 9 September.
Addressing the nation from Downing Street, Prime Minister Johnson outlined plans to restore life to as “normal as possible”, which include testing on a mass scale and would see those testing negative allowed more flexibility.
“We must revise plans to pilot larger audiences in venues later this month and review our intention to return audiences to stadiums and conference [and exhibition] centres from 1 October,” said the Prime Minister. “That does not mean we are going to scrap the programme entirely, we just have to review it and the culture secretary [Oliver Dowden] will say more about that shortly.”
He continued: “Over the summer we have been working on an alternative plan which could see us return to closer to normality, and this plan is based on mass testing. We will test 500,000 a day, and those testing negative will be allowed to behave in a more normal way in the knowledge they cannot infect anyone else.”
The Prime Minister went on to outline more details about the plan of mass-testing of large audiences, which he revealed would take place in October in both indoor and outdoor settings.
“It may be possible to deploy these tests on a far bigger scale, unlike anything carried out anywhere else. That level of testing would allow people to lead more normal lives without the need for social distancing.
“Theatres and sports venues could test an audience and let in anyone with a negative result. The same would apply to workplaces.
“We are going to pilot this approach in Salford from next month with audiences in indoor and outdoor venues and then we hope to go nationwide.”