CrosspoolClarets wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 10:52 pm
Telegraph reporting government have accepted fans can be spotchecked rather than everyone being stopped. Great news. Can’t link, saw it on app.
Article in The Times this morning.
Most fans may still avoid Covid-19 checks despite new restrictions
Martyn Ziegler, Chief Sports Reporter, Friday December 10 2021, 12.01am, The Times
Sports clubs and events may be allowed to carry out spot checks rather than monitor every fan for proof of vaccination against coronavirus or a negative test result.
From Wednesday, all spectators at events of more than 10,000 people will need proof of a double jab or a negative test, but it is expected that it will be left to local safety advisory groups (SAGs) to decide whether all fans should be checked.
Some clubs have expressed concern that it will be hugely challenging to do so and could lead to bottlenecks. However, Chelsea have been checking all supporters attending the men’s team’s home matches at Stamford Bridge throughout this season in preparation for Covid measures being extended and
are understood to be in favour of that being used as the model for the Premier League to demonstrate it can operate safely with full capacities. Other clubs believe that is unfeasible, especially in some older stadiums.
The RFU is also understood to have told government officials it would be impractical to have vaccine passports or negative test checks for everyone attending a match at Twickenham if 82,000 tickets were sold. It used spot checks for the autumn internationals, which were monitored by the government to measure its success.
Under the latest plan, which is expected to be confirmed early next week, SAGs would be able to stipulate the percentage that need checking in the belief that if, for example, every one in four is monitored then fans would be unwilling to risk being turned away.
The proof of vaccination will be in the form of the NHS app and the results of negative lateral flow tests will have to be uploaded to the government website, which then provides a text message to be shown as proof to stewards.
Mask-wearing inside stadiums will come into force this weekend, but it is unclear whether that will include people sitting in open-air seats or only the inside parts of grounds. Spectators at the PDC World Darts Championship, which starts at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday, will not have to wear masks at tables if they are eating or drinking.
Barry Hearn, the chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation, said he would prefer all fans to be double jabbed.
He told The Times: “The local council has already said they want us to check for a vaccine or recent test result on the app. We would be in favour of only allowing in people who have been double vaccinated as it seems to be the fairest way to make it as safe as possible.”