From July 1, there will no longer be any limit on the number of attendees at events and gatherings. People will still need to keep 1.5m from each other.
As the number of infections remain low, and public support for the coronavirus regulations decreases, the government has decided to speed up its plans for reopening the country. On July 1, the plan was to raise the current limit on the number of people at gatherings from 30 to 100. Now, the government has decided to remove the limit on the number of people altogether: with some conditions.
Indoor vs. outdoor events
An unlimited number of people can attend a gathering indoors, so long as their health is checked before they enter, at a so-called triage. There should also be no blockages at the door. If that’s not possible, then the original cap of 100 people remains.
For outdoor events, if there is enough distance and a triage, there will no no limit on the number of attendees. If there isn’t a triage, then the maximum will be set at 250 attendees.
Hospitality and culture sectors welcome the change
Naturally enough, this change has been welcomed with open arms by the hospitality and culture sectors. Cinemas, theatres and churches have only been able to accept 30 people inside for the past weeks, even though many have enough room to safely accommodate more.
Reservations are required for all meetings. This will make it much easier for the government to carry out a trace and contact investigation in the event of an outbreak.
Municipalities will have quite a bit of power over which large events go ahead over the coming weeks: organisers of football matches or concerts can apply for a permit, which is then decided upon at a municipal level. It is expected to take a while for event organisers to demonstrate that they can adhere to the coronavirus regulations.
What large event are you most excited to attend? Let us know in the comments below.
Feature Image: Donald Tong/Pexels
