UK nightclubs could reopen with “entry checks”, according to a leaked report from the government and hospitality industry obtained by The Times.
The leaked report covers the reopening of everything from pubs to hotels to gyms. Their entry for nightclubs, however, urges some caution.
“Nightclubs will probably not be able to reopen any time soon,” the report says. “The guidance notes that dancefloors are ‘a challenging area to operate under any form of physical-distancing requirements’.”
One possible solution for nightclubs, according to the report, is “entry checks”. This could include clubbers using hand sanitiser before entering a club, temperature checks on the door, and socially distanced queueing with clear markers outside the club.
Although this is one of the first times that the government has discussed the reopening of nightclubs at any sort of length, the report doesn’t inspire too much confidence. Socially distanced queueing doesn’t mean an awful lot if you’re about to join a cramped dancefloor, and security checks can be invasive even before introducing temperature scans into the mix. It doesn’t sound like a safe or enjoyable clubbing experience.
The UK government has been hinting that they’ll continue relaxing lockdown measures in the coming weeks, with a plan to reduce to the two-metre distancing rule in order to allow pubs, cafés, and restaurants to open on July 4.