We have administered a total of 42.8 million vaccines across the UK, helping to cut infection rates and reduce the spread of the virus. We have now vaccinated 3 in 5 adults across our United Kingdom and more than 1 in 10 adults have now been fully vaccinated.
We have offered vaccinations to everyone in the nine highest priority groups – a significant milestone in our vaccination programme. This means more than 32.8 million people have been given the precious protection vaccines provide against Covid-19 and that we can now move forward with completing essential second doses and making progress towards our target of offering all adults a vaccine by the end of July.
Over 9.9 million people have received their second dose, meaning those most vulnerable to the virus now have the best possible protection. We are encouraging everyone to take up their second dose when it's their turn, to ensure maximum protection.
Safe return of large audiences
The Government has added a live gig to our programme of trials for the safe return of large audiences, taking us one step closer to a summer of live events that we can all enjoy.
Through our Events Research Programme, we are piloting events to help us shape our approach to how we allow the safe return of large audiences at venues and events in the future.
The Government has now added a live gig at Sefton Park to our Programme, and with attendee testing and controlled settings, this pilot will further trial approaches to managing and mitigating transmission risks at outdoor events, building on the evidence collected at other events including yesterday’s FA Cup semi-final fixture at Wembley, with the evidence used to support the phased return of fuller audiences to venues and events.
Researchers on site will examine the movements and behaviour of the crowd of 5,000 people at Sefton Park, which can host audiences of up to 7,500 at full capacity. The audience will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings in the controlled setting of the test event. They will be required to follow existing Government guidance on the use of face coverings when travelling to the venue and adhering to rules set out by the event organisers.
Ticket holders will be required to take a rapid lateral flow test at a local testing centre prior to entry to trial the role these facilities could play in the return of large scale events. All attendees must have proof of a negative test result to ensure the safety of staff and other attendees. Attendees will also be asked to take a test after the event to gather further evidence on the safety of outdoor settings, reduced social distancing and the removal of non-pharmaceutical mitigations like face coverings. They will also have to provide contact details for NHS Test and Trace to ensure everyone can be traced in the event of a positive test.
These pilots are taking us one step closer to the return of large audiences at live events as we gradually get closer to enjoying the big events we have missed over the past year.
For more information on Festival Republic joining the Government’s pilot programme with a live gig to trial the safe return of fans, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/festival-republic-joins-government-pilot-programme-with-a-live-gig-to-trial-the-safe-return-of-fans
