The Government of the United Kingdom suspended all sports events early this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport will use certain sporting events to pilot the return of spectators. Read on to learn more about the UK Government's announcement.
The Return of Spectators in the United Kingdom
The UK Government has a "stage five" guidance about the return of spectators. The Deputy Chief Medical Officers, medical representatives from various sports governing bodies, the police, the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, Public Health England, and UK Sports collaborated to develop the guidance. It is appropriate for venue operators and competition delivery partners. Besides, it will mark the final guidance of the government for elite sports to resume.
The guidance outlines the facilities, processes, and conditions which various sports bodies need to consider before competitive sports return. The government has restricted the number of spectators that it will allow in stadiums. Popular sportsbooks such as Betway are striving to attract more clients since the English Premier League resumed and provide you with head-to-head stats on each fixture to help you choose the best bet type on any particular match.
The Sports Grounds Safety Authority will publish more guidance highlighting how venue operators should compute safe capacities and the licensing obligations of sports stadiums. The government is keen on restarting competitive sports under controlled conditions.
Nigel Huddleston, Minister for Sports of the United Kingdom, said that venue operators, sports bodies, and the government have lost millions of pounds in the past few months. He stated that the Government of the United Kingdom has created a plan that will allow venue operators to reopen sports stadiums.
Some clubs and sports don't have a huge commercial revenue and they depend on fans to run vital operations. Nigel said that medical and sports experts will work together in the pilots. But, it will take a while before spectators can start filling sports stadiums.
The government requires competition delivery partners to educate spectators on the safety measures they are taking to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Spectators should take responsibility for their safety and those of other sports fans by staying at home if they have been exposed to COVID-19.
Venue operators will control bookings to observe social distancing in seating arrangements. The government requires them to support spectators by offering walking routes, bike routes, and parking facilities to discourage them from using public transport.
National and local providers need to create a transport management plan that will increase service frequency. Moreover, the operators should have a crowd management plan that will control their exit and entry in sports stadiums. They should have one-way systems to avoid crowding and maintain social distancing. Venue operators should set up sanitizer and handwashing stations in seating areas, exit and entry points.
Several elite sports events will resume in the United Kingdom in July and August. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the UK, announced that the government will use some sporting events to test the safe return of spectators. The move will help Betway provide more betting options for outdoor and indoor sports events.