Sports stadiums and events across England will be allowed to operate at full capacity from July 19 after the government sets out the next stage in the easing of coronavirus restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, alongside chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, summarized the latest guidelines and proposals at a press conference on Monday.
Since the pandemic took hold in the UK in March last year crowds have either been kept out entirely or allowed in severely restricted numbers. But since April with test events with higher attendances held as part of a Government programme and the success of the vaccine rollout, full stadiums will be permitted for the start of the football season in August.
Social distancing will be brought to a conclusion while mandatory mask-wearing will also be scrapped – although guidance suggests people might choose to do so in “enclosed and crowded places”.
On July 12 a decision on whether or not to go ahead with all the proposals will be made following a review of the latest available data. The Prime Minister said: “We’ll move away from legal restrictions and allow people to make their own informed decisions about how to manage the virus.”
A first attempt at reopening sports events at up to one-third of normal capacity on October 1 last year was scrapped amid rising cases, hospitalizations and deaths, with the country entering a second national lockdown just over a month afterwards.
