Will nightclubs reopen on July 19?
Find out the date that nightclubs are expected to open their doors after lockdown. Boris Johnson is due to announce later today (Monday July 5) lockdown in England will be lifted on July 19. The fourth and final stage of lockdown-easing in the country was originally due to take place on June 21, but this was pushed back due to concerns over the Delta variant. Reports have suggested that the July 19 date won't be pushed back, and that lockdown will be lifted as planned in two weeks. Here's what that means for nightclubs. Large events are due to return on July 19. Nightclubs are due to reopen in the fourth stage of lockdown-easing, meaning they could open on July 19 if the date goes ahead. Stage four will see all legal limits on social contact remove, meaning an end to the indoor 'rule of six', and an unlimited number of people allowed to gather in indoor and outdoor settings. While nothing has been confirmed, it has been reported that visitors to clubs will not need to prove they aren't infectious with Covid-19. According to the Evening Standard, Cabinet Minister Michael Gove is said to believe it would be 'too much hassle' on the public and businesses to require tests. A government source said: We are increasingly confident that people are protected and the plan is to reopen everything, with no exceptions.  Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said that smaller nightclubs would likely lose out if they were required customers to do tests. He said: "If you are in a late-night London pub and thinking of going on to the club around the corner, theres a good chance that having to take a test would make you question whether to bother."