The vaccines minister has confirmed that vaccine passports will be coming into effect this month, and will be required to enter large-scale sporting events, nightclubs and other indoor venues attracting large crowds (such as gigs).
Speaking during an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Nadhim Zahawi expressed a belief that it was the 'right time' for the scheme to start, as all those over the age of eighteen will now have been offered two jabs.
"The best way we can keep those industries open in my view, in our view, is to work with the industry," he said. "One thing that we have learnt is that in large gatherings of people, especially indoors, the virus tends to spike and spread."
Zahawi also shared that over-50s and those classed as vulnerable may soon be offered booster jabs, and that the passport scheme would be implemented before the end of the month. "When the evidence that you are presented is so clear cut and that we want to make sure the industry doesn't have to go through [an] open-shut, open-shut sort of strategy, then the right thing to do is to introduce that by the end of September when all over 18 year-olds have had their two jabs."
The plan to introduce vaccine passports in September was previously announced at a press conference in July by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. The PM said of the decision, "I don't want to have to close nightclubs again as they have elsewhere. But it does mean nightclubs need to do the socially responsible thing. As we said last week, we do reserve the right to mandate certification at any point if it's necessary to reduce transmission."
He continued, "And I should serve notice now that by the end of September, when all over-eighteens have had their chance to be double jabbed we're planning to make full vaccination the condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather."
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The decision has been met with a mixed response. Many nightclub and venue owners are worried that the ruling will make it harder for them to keep their businesses afloat, especially as they're already struggling following a lengthy closure.
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NITA) expressed concern that introducing mandatory vaccine passports will leave club owners having to make yet more complex changes to the way they operate. He described the move as a 'shambles'.
"[Our recent research, in which we spoke to 250 businesses] found that 8 in 10 don't want to implement Covid passports [at present], with commonly cited reasons including a worry about difficulties with enforcing the system and a reduction in spontaneous consumers.
"In addition to that, [there's the issue of] being put at a competitive disadvantage against pubs and bars that aren’t subject to the same restrictions, and yet provide similar environments. The unreliability of lateral flow testing is also a cause for concern."
Others took to social media to air their thoughts on the prospect of vaccine passports, with many questioning the government's timescale. "Allowing non-vaccinated people in now but vaccinated later?" one wrote. "It should be the other way round!"
A sizeable amount have also shared tweets along the lines of 'although I'm not an anti-vaxxer, this U-turn seems concerning' and have rightly pointed out that despite being double jabbed, it is still possible to catch COVID-19. Others have said they're in favour of passports and that ultimately believe the move will help to save more lives.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
