Theatre industry welcomes cuts to Covid isolation period

A cut to the self-isolation period for people who have tested positive for Coronavirus – which reduces it to five full days – has been welcomed by the industry.

Bosses hope the move will help producers and theatre companies who have so far been hit by multiple staff and cast absences, due to people previously having to isolate for 10 days, which was later slashed to seven.

The isolation period is now being reduced to five full days, meaning that from January 17 people will be able to leave isolation after negative lateral flow tests on days five and six.

Welcoming the move, a spokeswoman for the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre said: “This announcement is welcome news for the theatre industry, which – like many sectors – has been struggling amid high rates of absence among its workforce. The possibility of testing out of isolation and returning safely to work sooner will have a positive impact on theatres and productions UK-wide.”

Royal Shakespeare Company acting artistic director Erica Whyman told The Stage that the cut should help the sector by allowing people to return to work quicker, after testing positive.

However, she cautioned that – despite the requirement to test twice before coming out of isolation – the RSC had so far had a “pretty volatile relationship with lateral flow tests”.

“I study the science like every other artistic director and I understand why that is. They are picking up infectiousness, and are a pretty good indicator of whether you are infectious on the day you do it. But the difficulty is, i think, we have seen cases where people test negative one day and positive the next,” she said.

Whyman added: “It adds another layer of anxiety. Hopefully this will mean people can return quicker and that is very good, but right now we are suffering such a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. And at the end of the process, you don’t actually know if you are really getting someone back and you don’t know if they will last – they might come back for a day and not the next.”

However, she admitted receding absences generally had to be welcomed and said rehearsals in particular would benefit.

“This will help with rehearsals, particularly when you are not putting huge strains on people after coming back from being unwell. They are able to be present sooner, and that has to be a good thing, if indeed they are not infectious,” she said.

Whyman also spoke about her optimism for future weeks, following a tough December, when shows were cancelled.

Nevertheless, she said audiences had come to see shows at the RSC when they were able, and said bookings for its forthcoming season were good.

Describing January as a tough month anyway, when people are more cautious with money, she said: “My sense is we haven’t damaged confidence, which I am really pleased to say. Sales are pretty good looking forward.”

Royal Albert Hall chief executive Craig Hassall previously called for the isolation period to be reduced to five days.

He predicted a "rocky road until at least the middle of this year", but said he remained optimistic about the coming months as long as venues can operate without curbs.

"The best thing for us is to perform. If we can perform, we can trade our way out of the Covid doom and gloom. If we can’t perform, or limitations on us performing are such that it restricts our ability to make money, then we’re in a real state," he said.