Getting recreation and leisure up and running again.

There's lots of cases internationally of enclosed poorly ventilated, spaces creating super spreader events . the S Korean night club where 240 plus people  caught it from one carrier being one example, Churches and the Trump White House also created numerous cases of people who said it was no problem creating  mass spreading events, Some of  those preachers  died.  Some of those cases involved activities that produced  forced breathing - like singing or projecting  - choirs suffered badly. The basics remain the same . Masks do some  work keeping it out, not staying in an enclosed location for so long does some-  but you can't leave  at the interval. . Ventilation is actually more effective than any other measure - but you can't open all the theatre doors. Distancing reduces the dose that reaches you from the nearby people - as the virus disperses as it moves through the air.

The problem is they don't yet know what the new virus variant does - if  its more infectious the same amount reaching you through the mask or by crossing the distancing gap can do you more harm. And its not clear what protection the vaccines each  give, or what previous infection gives yet. The data on if its more lethal isn't clear yet either. And if locally is a guide, the higher percentage you have of non vaccinated people, the more likely you are to get an outbreak . Currently London has both more young unvaccinated people and more in groups with a low take up. And what London gets,  the bottom half of the  country tends to get soon after - so its rather important not to let it gain a hold in London again.

The sensible thing to do would seem to be to wait 2-4 weeks and complete most adult vaccination, get the 20 somethings vaccinated at least once   and make a start on the teenagers. And by then they might actually know more about what they are fighting, The danger is this might otherwise prove more lethal or just pick off the unvaccinated, the unlucky vaccinated, the people who can't be vaccinated,  and the groups that rejected vaccination.  And that would inturn blow apart any plans we have for getting the NHS to catch up on the year's work it hasn't done. With Starmer and some scientists pushing caution, the politically sensible thing to do is to opt for caution and leave theatres to continue on current terms for now  - which seem to work ok for many of them. The alternative would really need compulsory PCR testing which might be impractical, and you would still be exposed the moment you left the theatre.

"A major study at University College London has used laser technology to measure the impact of face coverings in helping to mitigate risks of Covid."

If they could use the lasers to evaporate anyone who doesn't comply that would be great.