Government confirms Covid vaccine passports may be used for holidays, pubs and football games

6 April 2021, 11:31 | Updated: 6 April 2021, 11:35

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

Covid certificates could be used to reopen the economy and reduce social distancing restrictions.

Ahead of the easing of lockdown rules in England next week, it has been announced that Covid passports could ‘likely become a feature of our lives’.

The government confirmed a system of certification ‘could have an important role to play both domestically and internationally’, but only as a temporary measure.

According to The Telegraph, details were published in a series of reviews, which discuss the return of international travel, big events and loosening social distancing rules.

A Covid status certificate would show three things about that person.

These include whether they have had a vaccine, a negative result from a lateral flow or PCR test that day or the day before; or have proof of natural immunity, such as a positive PCR test in the past six months.

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The certificate could also play a role in reopening theatres and nightclubs, as well as festivals and sports events.

But the documents state there are some areas where Covid status checks should never be required, such as “essential public services, public transport and essential shops”.

It is unclear what the government’s stance is on using the Covid passports in the hospitality sector including pubs and restaurants.

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Details state they could reduce social distancing requirements in these venues.

Boris Johnson said no plans have been finalised yet and added there would be no changes to 'step two' of the roadmap on 12 April.

The Prime Minister said: “I want to stress there are complicated ethical and practical issues as I think I said last time raised by the idea of Covid status certification using vaccination alone.

“Many people will be for one reason or another unable to get a vaccine, for medical reasons for instance, or perhaps because they’re pregnant.

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“So you have to be very careful how you handle this and don’t start a system that is discriminatory.

“But obviously we are looking at it – we want to be going ahead in the next few weeks with some test events, some pilot events.

“Big events, getting 20,000 people into Wembley on May 15 (for the FA Cup final), that kind of thing.

“Getting people back into theatre, that will unquestionably involve testing to allow the audience really to participate in the numbers that people want.”

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