Published by Neil ThompsonAccording to the BBC website, small wedding receptions and live indoor performances with socially distanced audiences, will be able to resume in England from Saturday, as lockdown rules are eased. Pilots will take place at conference venues ahead of the expected resumption of business events from 1 October at the earliest. Meanwhile, quarantine measures have been imposed on some more countries.
The easing of lockdown rules is now due to come into force on Saturday, after being postponed from 1 August due to concerns about a slight increase in the number of people testing positive for coronavirus in England. Last week, figures from the Office of National Statistics showed this may be levelling off.
Under the latest changes - the highlights for the event industry are:
- Indoor theatre, music and performance venues will be able to reopen with socially distanced audiences
- Wedding receptions in the form of a sit-down meal for up to 30 guests will be permitted
- The piloting of a small number of sporting events to test the safe return of spectators will resume, commencing with the final of the World Snooker Championship at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre over the weekend
- Pilots will take place at conference venues ahead of the expected resumption of business events from 1 October at the earliest
The new guidance will not apply in areas where local lockdown measures are in place, the government said. Devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have the power to set their own timings for the easing of restrictions.
The prime minister said that plans to open up more of the economy this weekend "will allow more people to return to work and the public to get back to more of the things they have missed". But Mr Johnson reiterated a warning that the government "will not hesitate to put on the brakes if required, or to continue to implement local measures to help to control the spread of the virus".
