A Government taskforce is being set up to help reopen the UK cultural sector, alongside other recreation, and leisure businesses. The group will oversee the potential opening of museums and galleries in the third stage on the UK government‘s coronavirus recovery plan.
The taskforce will be overseen by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Responsibilities for the team will include tourism, culture, and heritage, libraries, entertainment and sport.
One of the most important tasks for the taskforce is to ensure official guidelines are developed in line with the government’s coronavirus recovery plan and public health measures. They will provide key stakeholders with direct access to ministers and confirm the alignment of all relevant sectoral guidance.
The group will be one of five official taskforces helping develop new COVID-19 secure guidelines for specific parts of the economy. Other task forces will cover pubs and restaurants, non-essential retail, places of worship and international aviation.
Each task force will be chaired by a minister from the relevant government department. The groups may include a secretary of state, other departmental ministers, government officials, a chief scientific adviser, and representatives from Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive.
Museums will be allowed to reopen during phase 3 of the COVID-19 restrictions, which could take place on July 4th at the earliest, although the date may change depending on the number of new infections and deaths. Welsh and Northern Irish governments have published their own recovery plans, in which open-air museums will be allowed to open before others.
