Sun 12 September 2021:
The British government will abandon proposals to require vaccine passports for access into nightclubs and other crowded events in England, according to the country’s health secretary.
The U-turn comes in the face of opposition in Parliament from some of the Conservative government’s supporters.
Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said the government has put the idea of vaccine passports on hold for the time being, but could reconsider if COVID-19 cases rise exponentially again.
“We’ve looked at it properly and whilst we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I’m pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports,’’ Javid told the BBC.
The comments came just days after the government’s vaccines minister and the culture secretary suggested that vaccine passports would still be necessary, despite growing opposition from lawmakers. Such passports are required in other European countries, like France.
Members of the ruling Conservative Party, in particular, have criticized such passports as an unacceptably high cost to businesses and a violation of residents’ human rights.
In Britain, where people are normally not compelled to carry identity cards, the concept of asking people to provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative test for COVID-19 has made many people uneasy.
The hospitality sector said the decision would make it possible to move forward.
“We hope that businesses will now be able to plan for the future with some degree of certainty, regain confidence from customers and the workforce, and start to rebuild a sector that has consistently been at the sharp end of this pandemic,” said Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association.
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