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Ideas to reopen the leisure & tourism sectors if social distancing is to continue

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PTR 444

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Wimborne
The leisure and tourism sector is one of the last that is planned to fully reopen after lockdown, but it is vitally important for our economy. Without it, our livelihoods will be very much worse off so we need to find ways to gradually reopen these businesses while social distancing is still present. Here are some ideas I have come up with, hopefully achievable by September at the earliest:

Pubs
  • Social distancing will be difficult to maintain, but pubs are known to boost morale, so these should be allowed to open on Saturday evenings only for locals. Each pub will only be allowed to let in people who live within a 2-mile radius of it while proof of address will be required upon entry.
  • From September, pubs within 2-miles of a university should additionally be allowed to open on Friday evenings for students studying at that university only. Student ID will be required upon entry instead of a driving licence or other form of ID.
  • Guests to be limited to a maximum of 2 alcoholic drinks per visit.
  • Table service or an ordering app should be implemented where possible to prevent standing around at the bar.
  • Broadcasting sporting events should be banned to prevent an influx of visitors.
Nightclubs
  • Social distancing will be impossible here, but like pubs, the spread of the virus could be mitigated by limiting opening hours and who can enter.
  • These should be allowed to open from September to local students only on a Friday night as part of a once per week “Student Night” alongside pubs opening (as this will give them an incentive to go to university in September when student numbers could be hit hard).
  • Nobody else will be allowed to enter nightclubs until social distancing is no longer required.
Cafes & Restaurants
  • These should be allowed to operate at 25% of normal capacity, with advance reservations compulsory.
  • Tables should be spaced at least 1 metre apart where possible (2 metres is unworkable).
  • On nice sunny days, people should be encouraged to sit in nearby parks as an extension of the café’s seating area
  • Staff required to wear face masks.
Gyms & Leisure Centres
  • These should be allowed to open, but at 20% of normal capacity and guests required to book a time slot before entry.
  • People will only be allowed to book slots at gyms within their home local authority. As for University gyms, these should be allowed to open from September for students only.
  • Staff should be required to wear face masks, but not guests as it will be difficult to breathe wearing them while exercising.
Cinemas & Theatres
  • These should be allowed to operate at 25% of normal capacity, with people spaced apart as much as possible (although members of the same household can sit together).
  • Food and drink outlets on site should remain closed.
  • Longer shows should be required to have at least 2-3 intervals in order to prevent long queues for the toilets.
  • All customers and staff will be required to wear face masks.
Stadiums & Indoor Concert Venues
  • Concerts and sporting events should be allowed to resume as long as everybody stays at least 2 metres apart.
  • Seating capacity should be at 25% the normal level with standing banned and people spaced out as much as possible.
  • Face masks must always be worn within the venue.
Accommodation
  • People should be allowed to take staycations this summer to boost morale, therefore hotels should be allowed to take bookings as long as there is only one household per room. Only 20% of all rooms to be occupied at once.
  • Hotels that do not open to paying guests should be required to provide shelter for homeless people, victims of domestic abuse and key workers unable to return home.
  • Holiday parks should be allowed to open, but with facilities where people are likely to gather remaining closed.
  • In hostels, all occupants of a room must be part of the same household.
  • Bed & Breakfasts may have to remain closed as they involve people visiting somebody else’s house.
Museums & Art Galleries
  • Free museums should be allowed to operate like supermarkets, only letting a certain number of people in at once.
  • Exhibits that involve touching should be off limits to the public.
  • Larger and pay per entry museums to take advanced bookings only.
Theme Parks & Zoos
  • These should be allowed to open at 40% of normal capacity, with advance bookings compulsory.
  • Queuing for rides and attractions should be replaced with a virtual queuing system, done on an app.
  • Attractions that involve guests frequently touching equipment and living things must remain closed.
Country Parks & Gardens
  • The outdoors is extremely beneficial for mental health, so these attractions should be allowed to open at a reduced capacity.
  • Car parking should be limited with guests encouraged to walk or cycle to these places. This will prevent an influx of cars like what happened the weekend before lockdown.
  • Houses, shops and cafes on site should remain closed.
  • If social distancing cannot be maintained, it might be worth organisations (National Trust, English Heritage etc) limiting opening to members only.
Outdoor concerts and festivals
  • These will probably be unable to go ahead until spring 2021 at the earliest. Even if some restrictions can be lifted by September, demand for outdoor festivals will reduce anyway with the cold winter months approaching.
 
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CaptainHaddock

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10 Feb 2011
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2,206
I appreciate you've gone to a lot of effort over this but in my view both your timescales and restrictions are so pessimistic that it simply wouldn't be cost-effective for any of the venues you list to reopen! Who in their right mind would want to visit a venue where you have to book in advance, wear a mask and have no social interaction?

I don't know why you're so fixated on September; personally I would be very surprised if I'm not able to return to the pub come early July!
 

underbank

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26 Jan 2013
Messages
1,486
Location
North West England
If you restrict opening hours, you'll just make things busier in the relatively small number of hours they're open. Far better to lengthen opening hours to spread the number of customers over a far longer period of time, particularly pubs, clubs, restaurants, etc. Our "village pub" was heaving on the Friday it was forced to close - not only was it full inside, there were dozens of people stood on the pavement outside - most of those people were "locals" living within 2 miles as it's a traditional village pub with a tiny car park and not a "destination" pub. It'd be like that every Saturday if it wasn't allowed to open any other time.

With restaurants, 1m between tables is far too small - it would mean people walking between, such as staff, customers going to the loo, etc would be within inches of the people sat at the tables they were walking between. Even 2m is too small.

As for most places operating at 25%, why would they when they'd lose money by opening? You still have all the costs to pay, such as similar numbers of staff (probably more needed to maintain social distancing), power, etc. Even at 50%, they'd not make any money. Businesses aren't going to open if it means an even bigger loss. You'd need massive Govt subsidy to make it worthwhile, i.e. underwriting the losses incurred by opening!
 

Carlisle

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Joined
26 Aug 2012
Messages
4,124
I appreciate you've gone to a lot of effort over this but in my view both your timescales and restrictions are so pessimistic that it simply wouldn't be cost-effective for any of the venues you list to reopen!
If pubs could only open on Saturdays I’m pretty certain around 95% simply wouldn’t deem it viable to reopen.
 

greyman42

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Joined
14 Aug 2017
Messages
4,894
If you take out central London, then weekends are the only time when pubs are particularly busy. Therefore during the week I don't think there would be that much of a problem, and they could operate as normal.
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
I'd love it if something like the National Railway Museum re-opened. Lots of space inside for social distancing / one way systems etc. Entry numbers possibly restricted by free ticketing but actually something educational. We can't just do exercise and shopping forever.
 

Carlisle

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Joined
26 Aug 2012
Messages
4,124
Would you like to expand on that?
I think you’ll find most major Uk towns & cities have at least one or two bars that stay relatively busy throughout the week. although I agree the younger generation appear to drink more specifically on weekends nowadays
 
Last edited:

HLE

Established Member
Joined
27 Dec 2013
Messages
1,405
The leisure and tourism sector is one of the last that is planned to fully reopen after lockdown, but it is vitally important for our economy. Without it, our livelihoods will be very much worse off so we need to find ways to gradually reopen these businesses while social distancing is still present. Here are some ideas I have come up with, hopefully achievable by September at the earliest:

Pubs
  • Social distancing will be difficult to maintain, but pubs are known to boost morale, so these should be allowed to open on Saturday evenings only for locals. Each pub will only be allowed to let in people who live within a 2-mile radius of it while proof of address will be required upon entry.
  • From September, pubs within 2-miles of a university should additionally be allowed to open on Friday evenings for students studying at that university only. Student ID will be required upon entry instead of a driving licence or other form of ID.
  • Guests to be limited to a maximum of 2 alcoholic drinks per visit.
  • Table service or an ordering app should be implemented where possible to prevent standing around at the bar.
  • Broadcasting sporting events should be banned to prevent an influx of visitors.
Nightclubs
  • Social distancing will be impossible here, but like pubs, the spread of the virus could be mitigated by limiting opening hours and who can enter.
  • These should be allowed to open from September to local students only on a Friday night as part of a once per week “Student Night” alongside pubs opening (as this will give them an incentive to go to university in September when student numbers could be hit hard).
  • Nobody else will be allowed to enter nightclubs until social distancing is no longer required.
Cafes & Restaurants
  • These should be allowed to operate at 25% of normal capacity, with advance reservations compulsory.
  • Tables should be spaced at least 1 metre apart where possible (2 metres is unworkable).
  • On nice sunny days, people should be encouraged to sit in nearby parks as an extension of the café’s seating area
  • Staff required to wear face masks.
Gyms & Leisure Centres
  • These should be allowed to open, but at 20% of normal capacity and guests required to book a time slot before entry.
  • People will only be allowed to book slots at gyms within their home local authority. As for University gyms, these should be allowed to open from September for students only.
  • Staff should be required to wear face masks, but not guests as it will be difficult to breathe wearing them while exercising.
Cinemas & Theatres
  • These should be allowed to operate at 25% of normal capacity, with people spaced apart as much as possible (although members of the same household can sit together).
  • Food and drink outlets on site should remain closed.
  • Longer shows should be required to have at least 2-3 intervals in order to prevent long queues for the toilets.
  • All customers and staff will be required to wear face masks.
Stadiums & Indoor Concert Venues
  • Concerts and sporting events should be allowed to resume as long as everybody stays at least 2 metres apart.
  • Seating capacity should be at 25% the normal level with standing banned and people spaced out as much as possible.
  • Face masks must always be worn within the venue.
Accommodation
  • People should be allowed to take staycations this summer to boost morale, therefore hotels should be allowed to take bookings as long as there is only one household per room. Only 20% of all rooms to be occupied at once.
  • Hotels that do not open to paying guests should be required to provide shelter for homeless people, victims of domestic abuse and key workers unable to return home.
  • Holiday parks should be allowed to open, but with facilities where people are likely to gather remaining closed.
  • In hostels, all occupants of a room must be part of the same household.
  • Bed & Breakfasts may have to remain closed as they involve people visiting somebody else’s house.
Museums & Art Galleries
  • Free museums should be allowed to operate like supermarkets, only letting a certain number of people in at once.
  • Exhibits that involve touching should be off limits to the public.
  • Larger and pay per entry museums to take advanced bookings only.
Theme Parks & Zoos
  • These should be allowed to open at 40% of normal capacity, with advance bookings compulsory.
  • Queuing for rides and attractions should be replaced with a virtual queuing system, done on an app.
  • Attractions that involve guests frequently touching equipment and living things must remain closed.
Country Parks & Gardens
  • The outdoors is extremely beneficial for mental health, so these attractions should be allowed to open at a reduced capacity.
  • Car parking should be limited with guests encouraged to walk or cycle to these places. This will prevent an influx of cars like what happened the weekend before lockdown.
  • Houses, shops and cafes on site should remain closed.
  • If social distancing cannot be maintained, it might be worth organisations (National Trust, English Heritage etc) limiting opening to members only.
Outdoor concerts and festivals
  • These will probably be unable to go ahead until spring 2021 at the earliest. Even if some restrictions can be lifted by September, demand for outdoor festivals will reduce anyway with the cold winter months approaching.

Trouble is with stadiums/concerts and theatres etc. working at 25% capacity means you lose money every time you open. Haemorrhage it in fact.

Hypothetically;

Let's take a football stadium. 40k capacity without distancing measures. 2 metres between fans means every second row is closed, but then only 3, possibly 4 people can fit into the open rows whilst maintaining 2 metre distancing. And that's if you stagger/zigzag pattern the fans, because missing one row isn't quite 2 metres.

Take one block. 20 seats across, 25 rows. Holds 500 if every seat taken. But under social distancing 52 is the golden number, 4 per row x 13 open rows. Families etc can sit together but then that's open to abuse.

So a stadium with capacity for 40,000 can only accommodate around 10% under social distancing. You'll still have to steward each block, and there's the matter of hundreds of people using the same toilet.
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
Trouble is with stadiums/concerts and theatres etc. working at 25% capacity means you lose money every time you open. Haemorrhage it in fact.

Hypothetically;

Let's take a football stadium. 40k capacity without distancing measures. 2 metres between fans means every second row is closed, but then only 3, possibly 4 people can fit into the open rows whilst maintaining 2 metre distancing. And that's if you stagger/zigzag pattern the fans, because missing one row isn't quite 2 metres.

Take one block. 20 seats across, 25 rows. Holds 500 if every seat taken. But under social distancing 52 is the golden number, 4 per row x 13 open rows. Families etc can sit together but then that's open to abuse.

So a stadium with capacity for 40,000 can only accommodate around 10% under social distancing. You'll still have to steward each block, and there's the matter of hundreds of people using the same toilet.

And the atmosphere would be crap and not worth paying the money for anyway.
 

Andrew S

Member
Joined
4 Aug 2018
Messages
165
I'm not sure much of this would work, really.

Pubs - social distancing and limiting of numbers could work by either reservations, or counting people in at the door, or a system combining both. Then arrangement of tables to maintain distance, and table service or apps rather than waiting at the bar. I don't see any benefit in limiting opening hours/days, or imposing a customer "catchmentarea", in fact it just seems like an extra hurdle or even a punishment for the business and the customer. What if people in rural areas don't have a pub within two miles? What if people regularly work on Saturday evening? What about colleagues wanting a quick distanced pint after their first week back at work?

Nightclubs - So they're only open to students?! Are other people not allowed to enjoy clubs if they want to? What about clubs which are not near a university? Do they just disappear? Also, the notion that access to nightclubs will help university admissions in September is hilarious. Limiting numbers inside and advice about not dancing within 2m would work, but half empty clubs are no fun.

Theatres - On 25% capacity, are simply not viable. If all parts of an auditorium are in use to maximise occupancy with distancing in place, the same staffing levels will be needed for safety reasons. Not allowing food and drink outlets to open, whilst understandable, cuts off an important income stream.
Some theatre productions require large numbers of cast, musicians, stage crew etc, usually working in tight confined spaces. These productions will not resume until the infection rates are much much lower. This is the insustry I work in, and we are currently talking about a cautious phased re-opening from September, but realistically many venues won't be active until Spring next year.

Cinemas - again, 25% is probably too low to be viable. Not selling food and drink is definitely not viable. That's where they make profit. Not on box office. The fact that one big film distributor has opted to take new releases online during the crisis could be a worrying sign too.

The above are industries I am closely familiar with. I'm not really aware of how the others work so won't comment on those. I do understand that these suggestions are made in good faith and with a view to eventually getting "back to normal", so don't want to be ridiculing. Some aspects won't work, though.
 

NorthOxonian

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Oxford/Newcastle
Trouble is with stadiums/concerts and theatres etc. working at 25% capacity means you lose money every time you open. Haemorrhage it in fact.

Hypothetically;

Let's take a football stadium. 40k capacity without distancing measures. 2 metres between fans means every second row is closed, but then only 3, possibly 4 people can fit into the open rows whilst maintaining 2 metre distancing. And that's if you stagger/zigzag pattern the fans, because missing one row isn't quite 2 metres.

Take one block. 20 seats across, 25 rows. Holds 500 if every seat taken. But under social distancing 52 is the golden number, 4 per row x 13 open rows. Families etc can sit together but then that's open to abuse.

So a stadium with capacity for 40,000 can only accommodate around 10% under social distancing. You'll still have to steward each block, and there's the matter of hundreds of people using the same toilet.

It would work at the football club I support, but we get unusually low crowds (for a professional club), and have a stadium befitting a team in a much higher division (large, all-seater, with quite large concourse areas and facilities). It would never work at the vast majority of clubs.

That said, you might be able to have social distancing at much lower league grounds, I'm thinking Step 4/5 and below - so football could resume from the bottom up and not the top down. Lower leagues tend to have shorter travelling distances too. The trouble would be when large numbers of fans of professional clubs cotton on and all of a sudden thousands of Reading fans descend on Bracknell Town FC (as an example).
 

xc170

Member
Joined
9 Feb 2008
Messages
815
The leisure and tourism sector is one of the last that is planned to fully reopen after lockdown, but it is vitally important for our economy. Without it, our livelihoods will be very much worse off so we need to find ways to gradually reopen these businesses while social distancing is still present. Here are some ideas I have come up with, hopefully achievable by September at the earliest:

Pubs
  • Social distancing will be difficult to maintain, but pubs are known to boost morale, so these should be allowed to open on Saturday evenings only for locals. Each pub will only be allowed to let in people who live within a 2-mile radius of it while proof of address will be required upon entry.
  • From September, pubs within 2-miles of a university should additionally be allowed to open on Friday evenings for students studying at that university only. Student ID will be required upon entry instead of a driving licence or other form of ID.
  • Guests to be limited to a maximum of 2 alcoholic drinks per visit.
  • Table service or an ordering app should be implemented where possible to prevent standing around at the bar.
  • Broadcasting sporting events should be banned to prevent an influx of visitors.
Nightclubs
  • Social distancing will be impossible here, but like pubs, the spread of the virus could be mitigated by limiting opening hours and who can enter.
  • These should be allowed to open from September to local students only on a Friday night as part of a once per week “Student Night” alongside pubs opening (as this will give them an incentive to go to university in September when student numbers could be hit hard).
  • Nobody else will be allowed to enter nightclubs until social distancing is no longer required.
Cafes & Restaurants
  • These should be allowed to operate at 25% of normal capacity, with advance reservations compulsory.
  • Tables should be spaced at least 1 metre apart where possible (2 metres is unworkable).
  • On nice sunny days, people should be encouraged to sit in nearby parks as an extension of the café’s seating area
  • Staff required to wear face masks.
Gyms & Leisure Centres
  • These should be allowed to open, but at 20% of normal capacity and guests required to book a time slot before entry.
  • People will only be allowed to book slots at gyms within their home local authority. As for University gyms, these should be allowed to open from September for students only.
  • Staff should be required to wear face masks, but not guests as it will be difficult to breathe wearing them while exercising.
Cinemas & Theatres
  • These should be allowed to operate at 25% of normal capacity, with people spaced apart as much as possible (although members of the same household can sit together).
  • Food and drink outlets on site should remain closed.
  • Longer shows should be required to have at least 2-3 intervals in order to prevent long queues for the toilets.
  • All customers and staff will be required to wear face masks.
Stadiums & Indoor Concert Venues
  • Concerts and sporting events should be allowed to resume as long as everybody stays at least 2 metres apart.
  • Seating capacity should be at 25% the normal level with standing banned and people spaced out as much as possible.
  • Face masks must always be worn within the venue.
Accommodation
  • People should be allowed to take staycations this summer to boost morale, therefore hotels should be allowed to take bookings as long as there is only one household per room. Only 20% of all rooms to be occupied at once.
  • Hotels that do not open to paying guests should be required to provide shelter for homeless people, victims of domestic abuse and key workers unable to return home.
  • Holiday parks should be allowed to open, but with facilities where people are likely to gather remaining closed.
  • In hostels, all occupants of a room must be part of the same household.
  • Bed & Breakfasts may have to remain closed as they involve people visiting somebody else’s house.
Museums & Art Galleries
  • Free museums should be allowed to operate like supermarkets, only letting a certain number of people in at once.
  • Exhibits that involve touching should be off limits to the public.
  • Larger and pay per entry museums to take advanced bookings only.
Theme Parks & Zoos
  • These should be allowed to open at 40% of normal capacity, with advance bookings compulsory.
  • Queuing for rides and attractions should be replaced with a virtual queuing system, done on an app.
  • Attractions that involve guests frequently touching equipment and living things must remain closed.
Country Parks & Gardens
  • The outdoors is extremely beneficial for mental health, so these attractions should be allowed to open at a reduced capacity.
  • Car parking should be limited with guests encouraged to walk or cycle to these places. This will prevent an influx of cars like what happened the weekend before lockdown.
  • Houses, shops and cafes on site should remain closed.
  • If social distancing cannot be maintained, it might be worth organisations (National Trust, English Heritage etc) limiting opening to members only.
Outdoor concerts and festivals
  • These will probably be unable to go ahead until spring 2021 at the earliest. Even if some restrictions can be lifted by September, demand for outdoor festivals will reduce anyway with the cold winter months approaching.

What a depression, pessimistic future
 

underbank

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The trouble would be when large numbers of fans of professional clubs cotton on and all of a sudden thousands of Reading fans descend on Bracknell Town FC (as an example).

Easy to solve - make it all ticket bought in advance only. No ticket sales on the day and the ticket computer system set up with rows/seat groups blocked off.
 

Belperpete

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The Channel 4 programme last night, on how South Korea dealt with the virus, was very illuminating. Once South Korea had got the numbers down, and had introduced a very intrusive track-and-trace programme, life seemed to return pretty much to normal. I suspect the problem here is going to be weaning people off social distancing, not to mention the acceptability of such an intrusive track and trace regime.
 

CaptainHaddock

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Easy to solve - make it all ticket bought in advance only. No ticket sales on the day and the ticket computer system set up with rows/seat groups blocked off.

Have you been to much football at non-league level? Most grounds are mainly standing terraces with maybe a small stand with 100-200 seats. And there's no ticket computer system for advance bookings, just a bloke in a hut at the turnstile taking cash for admission!
 
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AM9

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13 May 2014
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St Albans
The Channel 4 programme last night, on how South Korea dealt with the virus, was very illuminating. Once South Korea had got the numbers down, and had introduced a very intrusive track-and-trace programme, life seemed to return pretty much to normal. I suspect the problem here is going to be weaning people off social distancing, not to mention the acceptability of such an intrusive track and trace regime.
I think the resistance to an effective track and trace programme (specifically which 'program' as well) will be held up as a reason to keeping these prime cross-infection venues closed. Those who value concepts of their own privacy above the lives of others over that period will be seen as slowing-down the return to something remotely like it was.
 

Belperpete

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I think the resistance to an effective track and trace programme (specifically which 'program' as well) will be held up as a reason to keeping these prime cross-infection venues closed. Those who value concepts of their own privacy above the lives of others over that period will be seen as slowing-down the return to something remotely like it was.
I agree. I forsee it becoming an entry requirement for some venues to have the app downloaded - it should be fairly simple to check with a Bluetooth scanning device at the entrance. It will then come down to individual choice, your privacy or entry to our venue.
 

scotrail158713

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Dundee
Have you been too much football at non-league level? Most grounds are mainly standing terraces with maybe a small stand with 100-200 seats. And there's no ticket computer system for advance bookings, just a bloke in a hut at the turnstile taking cash for admission!
Agreed - although my local team aren’t even that advanced. No turnstiles, seating, in fact we only got the pie hut last season! You just pay your admission to the committee member standing by the pavilion and then watch from anywhere around the pitch. It’s certainly a more “basic” match day experience, but I prefer going there where they appreciate your turning up. Much more than Hibs would if I went to Easter Road for example.
 

underbank

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Have you been to much football at non-league level? Most grounds are mainly standing terraces with maybe a small stand with 100-200 seats. And there's no ticket computer system for advance bookings, just a bloke in a hut at the turnstile taking cash for admission!

Our village bonfire/firework display is ticket only. You buy your tickets in local shops in the weeks leading up to it. Once they're sold out, that's it, you don't go. That was implemented to limit the numbers of people on the display field. Just some cheap printed tickets about the same size as business cards - works well enough. If something like that becomes necessary as the only way to open, then the clubs are going to have to do something similar and sell the tickets in shops etc near the ground.

If the football ground has standing areas, then either they close them and restrict attendances to the seating area, or they use portable barriers to partition off the standing areas into sections so people can segregate themselves by moving to a different area if they think too many have come into their area.

The rules/laws can't cover every eventuality. The civil servants drafting the rules can't visit every ground to do the risk assessment/planning etc for each club, all they can do is provide general guidelines. Ultimately it needs to be the club providing what they think is a safe environment, alongside the spectators having the option to remove themselves from what they perceive is a dangerous environment - i.e. flexibility. People need to take control of their own safety, hence the "stay alert" message. Clubs should already be well accustomed to existing laws re ground safety, at whatever league level - basic H&S laws apply everywhere. Covid is just another set of guidelines to put into the mix. Like any situation, if the provider can't guarantee a safe venue/attraction, then they can't go ahead (or they risk the full wrath of the law if they go ahead and something goes wrong!).
 

Llanigraham

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I can think of 3 pubs in this town where if you forced a 2m rule they'd have less than a dozen people in there! It just isn't possible!
 

6Gman

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Theme Parks & Zoos
  • These should be allowed to open at 40% of normal capacity, with advance bookings compulsory.
[/QUOTE]

How do you define the "normal capacity" of a zoo ?
 

Aictos

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Really? I'm not sure that is entirely accurate.

Well it definitely isn't accurate picture of the pub scene, I've worked at three pubs and they're busy on weekdays and on weekends eg no tables available and the bar is full so the idea of pubs outside London being dead outside the weekend is rather naive thinking of someone who has no idea of what they're talking about!
 

Bletchleyite

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I can think of 3 pubs in this town where if you forced a 2m rule they'd have less than a dozen people in there! It just isn't possible!

Inside, yes, but it's summer (and looking like quite a hot one too). It won't work for every pub, but some have beer gardens and with others it may be possible to close roads to allow outside seating. Maybe we'd keep it? I've long thought MK's Station Square was a big missed opportunity of that kind.
 

Bletchleyite

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How do you define the "normal capacity" of a zoo ?

There will be one for fire/evacuation risk assessment reasons. It'll be rather higher than it ever gets to, a bit like cross channel ferries which rarely reach their full passenger capacity because the car deck fills up first.
 

Bletchleyite

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"Marston Vale mafia"
Have you been to much football at non-league level? Most grounds are mainly standing terraces with maybe a small stand with 100-200 seats. And there's no ticket computer system for advance bookings, just a bloke in a hut at the turnstile taking cash for admission!

Zoom has been the "poster child" of doing stuff at home via video link. I suspect Eventbrite may well be the next "poster child", it takes about 2 hours to get it all set up (if that), no fixed costs and handles absolutely everything with regard to booking ticketed events (you can even scan people in with a mobile phone if you want). I have for instance used it for Scout camps, but it also works with events with tens of thousands.

I'm sure someone's in there with a restaurant booking system too.
 
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