Covid 19 - Large Scale Event Trials Guidance
2021
Our home city of Sheffield has hosted the Snooker World Championships since their inception and last year was one of the trial locations for the return of spectators to sporting events .It is very telling on how long we have been living with the pandemic and Covid 19 that again this year it is one of the first events to welcome spectators back and act as a trial venue.
In support of this step we have today seen the issue of:'Guidance about the Events Research Programme (ERP), paving the way for larger audiences to attend sport, theatre and gigs safely this summer'
The trail /research events are:
- FA Cup Semi Final, Wembley Stadium
- World Snooker Championship, Sheffield Crucible Theatre
- Luna Cinema, Liverpool
- League Cup Final
- ACC Business Event, Liverpool
- Circus Nightclub, Liverpool
- FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium
The documentation confirms that different approaches will be adopted for the different types of events and then evaluated but the following will usually be undertaken / required to be undertaken by the spectators and each event may have different criteria for the selection of participants.
- Hand sanitizer will be available at all events. Attendees should bring their own face masks as they may still be required to wear them around the venue.
- Attendees will be subject to scientifically and ethically designed pre- and post-event monitoring to gather evidence associated with different settings and approaches to managing and mitigating transmission risk.
- Attendees must produce a negative LFD test result from that day or the day before to enter the scientific pilot event. Testing will largely be delivered through the existing community testing network, with results validated by the event organisers before ticket-holders are admitted to the venue.
- We are also asking attendees to take pre- and post-event home PCRs tests, carried out to inform the research. Further information on booking these tests will be sent to attendees prior to the event.
It is of note that that the level of testing is very different from that of the trials in 2020.