RE: Rapid tests 'not viable to open nightclubs and theatres'!17 Feb 2021 12:41
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Covid rapid lateral flow tests ‘not viable’ to reopen nightclubs and theatres, industry leaders warn
Entertainment and hospitality bosses say the tests are too expensive
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By Benjamin Butterworth
February 16, 2021 10:48 pm
Updated February 16, 2021 10:56 pm
Bosses of some of Britain’s biggest night-life venues have warned the Government that rapid testing is not the answer to reviving the sector.
Boris Johnson proposed rapid-turnaround lateral flow coronavirus tests as a potential solution that would enable theatres, nightclubs and music venues to reopen, which he described as “the toughest nuts to crack”.
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“That, in combination with vaccination, will probably be the route forward,” he told a Downing Street news conference.
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But Craig Hassall, chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall, said that such a move would be “prohibitively expensive”.
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Rapid tests too costly
He told i: “At the moment it’s not clear what the turnaround times would be, or if the Government would underwrite some of the testing costs.
“Our initial investigations into testing last year showed that it was prohibitively expensive and took too long, but if there have been improvements that will make it financially viable and operationally feasible, then we would jump at the chance.”
Mr Hassall added that without urgent help the iconic music hall “remains in financial crisis”.
Jeremy Joseph, owner of the G-A-Y chain of bars and clubs, said that the cheapest rapid Covid-19 tests he could find cost £7-£14 – more than double the normal door charge for his largest venue, Heaven, in central London.
G-A-Y owner Jeremy Joseph has tried every route to keep his businesses functioning (Photo: Getty)
G-A-Y owner Jeremy Joseph has tried every route to keep his businesses functioning (Photo: Getty)
“We can help the government by doing testing, but if most customers can’t afford it, then it’s not viable and it’s not an option,” he told i. “I also worry that people spend so much on the test they then don’t spend enough money for us to break even.”
The nightclub boss also cautioned against asking individual venues carrying out health tests. “I don’t want to live with that responsibility – I’d prefer it the council do it, with trained staff who could test people for a whole area.”
Covid passports ‘discriminatory’
Instead of a test-while-you-queue approach, many in the sector are arguing for an app-based approach that would allow people to be tested beforehand and show their negative result using their phone.
Mark Davyd, chief executive of Music Venue Trust, said: “If we could use those to get people rapid tested, to get acknowledgement of a negative test onto their phones or a digital device, which they could show
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