A mass participation run in Hertfordshire is set to serve as a pilot event for the government’s “Covid status certification” scheme.

The plan is to enable the safe return of mass gatherings and indoor events as lockdown restrictions ease in England, with officials preparing a series of trial events over the coming months.

In Hertfordshire, several fun runs due to take place at Hatfield House between April 24-25 are set to be included in the trial.

A total of 3,000 runners and up to 3,000 spectators would be allowed to attend the event, according to the Mirror.

The World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield – running from April 17 to May 3 – is also set to be included in the trial as well as the FA Cup semi-final and final at Wembley.

The FA Cup semi-final between Leicester and Southampton at the national stadium on April 18 will see football fans return for the first time since December, with the month-long scheme concluding with the FA Cup final on May 15.

In developing the Covid passport scheme, officials will take into account three factors – whether an individual has received the vaccine, has recently tested negative for the virus, or has “natural immunity” having tested positive in the previous six months.

The NHS is said to be currently working on ways of providing people with the means to demonstrate their Covid status through “digital and non-digital routes”.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said: “We have made huge strides over the past few months with our vaccine programme and everyone in the country has made huge sacrifices to get us to this stage in our recovery from Covid-19.

“We are doing everything we can to enable the reopening of our country so people can return to the events, travel and other things they love as safely as possible, and these reviews will play an important role in allowing this to happen.”