‘The first dance’: how is the event of a British nightclub opening its doors for the first time in a pandemic without protocols

Thousands of people, without masks or social distance, will be able to dance this Friday and Saturday in a nightclub in Liverpool, in the north of England, as part of a test organized by the British government to assess the risk of contagion from the coronavirus.

The The Liverpool Circus nightclub will be open from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on these two days and hosted by well-known DJs such as Sven Väth, Fatboy Slim or Yousef Zahar, founder of the club. Around three thousand people are expected every day, for a rare event that has sold out. To enter, it will be necessary to present a negative antigen test for COVID-19.

“Participants will also be asked to perform a PCR test before and after the event to help with the investigation and ensure that any transmission of the virus is properly controlled,” the government said on its website. Hand sanitizer gel will be in place, but no mask will be required.

The event, baptized “The first dance” (el primer baile), it will be “a historic moment for electronic music and all events in the UK,” DJ Yousef said in a statement. As the date approaches and the weekend of events draws closer to reality, the Cirque team and I share an almost overwhelming sense of pride, enthusiasm, enthusiasm and, of course, responsibility for this. that awaits us.

“Working with the Liverpool City Council team, we have organized these events safely, with a unique approach to help the UK move closer to life beyond COVID., which was a great honor for me and for the Circus, ”he added. These two dancing evenings are part of a dozen pilot tests aimed at studying the risks of coronavirus transmission in crowds, to better organize the reopening of major sporting and cultural events.

Liverpool Culture Director Claire McColgan added: “This was not an easy process and is particularly difficult as the night sector has not been open for over a year. “It will be a different event than what people are used to, from the ticketing process to getting a negative side flow test before being allowed in.

“But everyone who takes part will not only help build clubs in Liverpool, but they will be pioneers across the country.” Other events include the Brit Awards ceremony, the British Pop Music Awards, which will take place on May 11 in front of an audience of 4,000, and the English Football Cup final, on May 15 at Wembley Stadium, in which will also assist spectators.

With more than 127,000 deaths from COVID-19, the UK is the country worst affected by the pandemic in Europe. But the health situation has improved remarkably, with less than 3,000 infections per day and around 20 deaths per day, prompting the government to launch a gradual de-escalation of its third lockdown, imposed since early January.

The reopening of nightclubs is scheduled for June 21. Other countries have embarked on large-scale trials. In Spain, a pilot concert by the Love of Lesbian group brought together 5,000 people on March 27 in Barcelona, ​​where participants danced without distance but with FFPA masks and after being subjected to an antigen test before the concert.

More than 3,000 people will dance this Friday without chinstrap or social distancing but with negative tests for COVID-19 at Circus Disco, Y 3000 other people will have a similar experience this Saturday at a nightclub in Liverpool, UK, during the big event.

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