Boris Johnson has said that lateral flow tests could be the “route forward” to reopening nightclubs and theatres which have been closed for almost one year.
The Prime Minister was asked if the government will use “vaccine passports,” he said that they are not ruling anything out.
He said, “Some countries, clearly, are going to be wanting to insist that people coming to their country have evidence of a vaccination, just as people have insisted in the past that you have evidence you are vaccinated against Yellow Fever or other diseases.
“For the purposes of this country and doing things within the domestic UK economy, we will look at everything.
“But what we are thinking of at the moment is more of a route that relies on mass vaccination, we intend to vaccinate all of the adults in the country by the autumn plus lateral flow testing, rapid testing for those bits that have been the toughest nuts to crack.
“Such as nightclubs or theatres, those parts of the economy we couldn’t get open last year.
“I think that will be the route that we go down and that businesses will go down. You are already seeing lots of business using the potential of rapid, on-the-day testing as well. I think that, in combination with vaccination, will probably be the route forward.”
Within 30 minutes a lateral flow test can give you results, which the government has spent over £1bn on them which are used in surge testing areas.
Dr David Nabarro of the World Health Organization said “The secret to getting life back to some degree of normality for most of us is going to be the availability of really reliable, super-quick tests. That will make movement so, so much easier.”
Michael Kill CEO NTIA told Londonlovesbusiness, “Finally we have some acknowledgement from the Prime Minister and Government on the existence of late night economy businesses, including nightclubs, theatres, casinos and late bars, particularly as they are some of the hardest hit since the start of the pandemic”
“We have been lobbying Government with a strategy for the safe opening of these important cultural institutions for some time now, using lateral flow testing has been a consistent narrative, and feel know with this acknowledgement we will be given the opportunity to deliver pilot schemes which will substantiate the ability for this sector to open safely at the appropriate time, but more importantly we will be able to plan and prepare for that opportunity ”
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