Stuart WoodThe Night Time Industries Association has launched a new report, which presents the case for a science-based, risk-assessed reopening of nightclubs and venues.
The report is supported by the Institute of Occupational Medicine, and calls for a clear roadmap for how late night venues can safely reopen in the UK.
The report highlights that the safe operation of these venues can be assured by implementing a number of measures, including: temperature checks and ID scans upon entry, crowd control, contactless payment, ventilation systems, and frequent high intensity cleaning.
The report also says that restricting overall capacity to 75% of legal building occupancy will “ensure distancing is possible throughout the venue”.
Among other key findings of the report were that clubs and venues have more mitigation control measures than retail, most pubs, restaurants and illegal raves. It also found that the core market for clubs and venues are amongst the lowest at risk.
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, commented: “We have now reached a critical point. In the absence of a clear reopening strategy from government, or the promise of financial support, huge numbers of businesses within our industry are facing financial collapse and thousands of job losses.
The report we have launched today clearly shows that there is a case for the safe reopening of night- time leisure venues, including nightclubs, late night bars, live music venues and event spaces. Whilst many of these are large capacity venues, it is important to note that they already have many of the safety protocols in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
“We implore the government to give us the opportunity to reopen in a safe, risk-assessed way. Doing so will protect thousands of jobs, contribute to the struggling UK economy and ensure our towns and cities remain economically healthy and culturally vibrant.”