Nightclub industry gives cautious backing to rapid Covid test proposal

Testing ticket holders while they queue described as potentially unworkable given large numbers of people

The nightclub industry has given its tentative backing to a suggestion from the prime minister that rapid Covid testing should be offered to ticket holders – possibly while they are queueing – as a route to open up venues that have been shut since March.

Boris Johnson has proposed rapid-turnaround lateral flow coronavirus tests as a potential solution that would enable entertainment venues, which he described as “the toughest nuts to crack”, to reopen.

“That, in combination with vaccination, will probably be the route forward,” he told a Downing Street news conference on Monday.

Industry leaders said they welcomed moves to establish a safe reopening for many struggling venues but warned that the costs and operational challenges of rolling out a testing programme were yet to be overcome.

Rather than a test-while-you-queue strategy, they have argued for an app-based approach that would allow people to be tested beforehand and prove their negative result using their phone.

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said he had been lobbying the government to include rapid testing as part of the strategy to reopen venues but that questions remained over “whether the operation would be affordable or viable”.

“There will be some challenges for smaller clubs around costs, particular as rapid tests are only one component of the measures required to mitigate risk,” he told The Independent.

“The methods that are being discussed have to be scalable, and there are some challenges around costs, but also around at what point we engage, given the vaccination rollout and current transmission figures.”

The “least intrusive method” may be a rapid testing solution coupled with an app, generating a code to validate ticket purchase, he said.

“The sector is on a cliff edge, and needs to be included within the narrative presented by the government, there is no room for ambiguity, or ‘let’s see how it goes’ attitude, we need robust long-term plans with clear dates from the leaders of this country,” Mr Kill added.

Clubbers dance at the Ministry of Sound nightclub in south London before Covid (Reuters)

Kyle Parsley, events manager at Brixton Jamm, also touted an app-based solution and said venues such as his in south London were willing to work with the government, but warned of unresolved logistical challenges – as well as the prospect of higher costs for venues and ticket holders.

“It is going to be tricky if the customer has to pay for a ticket and then pay for a test and then pay for food and drink,” he said. “The cost of going out is going to inflate massively.

“We are happy to do what we can to get our doors open safely but we are going to need the support to be able to do that, whether that is financially or operationally.”

On the prospect of conducting tests while people queue, he said: “Testing however many people before they get into the venue will be a time consuming challenge. I don’t see how you would be able to get everyone tested and inside the club in a quick time.”

However testing solutions are improving rapidly and one company, PocDoc, claims to have produced a rapid lateral flow Covid test boasting more than 98 per cent accuracy that costs £15 with the results returned in 15 minutes.

Nightclubs were deemed too risky to open last year when many other venues, including pubs and restaurants, were unlocked for the summer.

There is growing pressure to reopen them after a recent survey of more than 100 nightclubs found nearly nine in 10 (88 per cent) were in rent arrears and around four in five (81 per cent) said they would struggle to survive until the end of February without further support from the government.

Larger clubs such as central London’s Fabric have received grants but smaller venues missed out on financial assistance in the autumn.

Sacha Lord, Manchester's night time economy adviser, told BBC’s Breakfast programme that vaccine passports or testing were the only reliable routes to enable struggling venues to reopen.

“This is the key, this is the answer, and this is what we set out many, many months ago,” he said. “You have two options to get into these venues. Either you have had the vaccine or you have a quick test on entry.”

A government spokesperson said: “The prime minister will set out our plan on Monday 22 February for reopening our economy in a way that is cautious but also irreversible. 

“Nightclubs can continue to access our comprehensive package of business support worth over £280bn, which includes a one off grant of up to £9,000, monthly grants of up to £3,000, various loan schemes, a business rates holiday, as well as the extended furlough scheme.”