Virus status passports still on the cards

PM does not rule out certificates but they will not arrive during the coming weeks

BORIS JOHNSON has not ruled out the introduction of coronavirus status certificates in order to allow the scrapping of social distancing in pubs and restaurants, although the so-called Covid passports will not be introduced in the coming weeks.

The Prime Minister confirmed yesterday that non-essential shops, hairdressers, pub beer gardens, and outdoor hospitality will open as planned from April 12.

And although he was insistent any proof of either having immunity to coronavirus, having had a negative test, or having received the vaccine would not be needed at that stage, documents released by the Government did not rule out the move when social distancing is dropped.

The PM has faced fierce crossparty opposition on the matter, and is facing a potential defeat on any vote put to MPs.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the idea went against the “British instinct” while the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the passports would be “divisive and discriminatory”.

Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis called the proposed certificates a “silly measure” and said the NHS would not be able to handle the data.

He is among more than 40 Tory MPs thought to oppose the plans, which have prompted an unlikely alliance of the libertarian wing of the Conservative Party and the left wing Socialist Campaign Group of Labour in opposition.

However polling has shown the public generally supports the idea if it helps life return to normal.

Documents released yesterday confirmed the health service was “working on providing individuals with the means to demonstrate

their Covid status through a digital and non-digital route”.

Speaking from Downing Street, Mr Johnson said “the most important thing” was that certificates would not be needed from next week, or even in the next stage of reopening from May 17.

But he said: “What is certainly true is that the idea of vaccination status being useful for international travel is something that all countries are looking at, I do think that’s going to be part of the way people deal with it, we need to think about that.”

And the paper released yesterday said: “It is possible that Covidstatus certification could also play a role in reducing social distancing requirements in other settings which people tend to visit more frequently, for example in hospitality settings.”

However it was recognised that this could have “significant implications for businesses and their customers”. It also said certification would never be required to access essential public services, public transport, or essential shops.

People who have tested positive within the past six months will potentially be considered to have natural immunity from Covid as part of a UK vaccine passport scheme, documents showed, as well as either having had a recent negative test or a vaccination.

Certification, based mainly on testing at first, will be trialled at large events including the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible, in Sheffield, and the Circus nightclub, in Liverpool, in coming weeks.

Mr Johnson added: “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. 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, 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.”

We are looking at it – we want to be going ahead with some test events. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on virus status certification.

PUTTING VACCINE passports into law would be a “nightmare” and require “enormous scrutiny”, an expert has warned.

Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, told Times Radio yesterday that while in general they were a good thing if they made people feel a bit safer and more people were vaccinated, they needed “enormous scrutiny”.

It emerged yesterday that people who have tested positive for coronavirus within the past six months will potentially be considered to have natural immunity from Covid as part of a UK vaccine passport scheme. Interim findings of the Government’s review into the domestic use of Covid status certification states that Ministers believe it could have an “important role to play both domestically and internationally, as a temporary measure”.

The taskforce review, led by Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, is looking at “what standards” should be required for socalled vaccine passports if they are used domestically.

Prof Altmann said: “I find it difficult to have the vaccine passport conversation, and I’ve had quite a lot of these discussions of policy advice level, without getting into the detail because who of us wouldn’t think that vaccine passports were in general, a good thing, if people felt a bit safer and more people were vaccinated and we had more assurance of that?

“And yet, one or two sentences into discussion you get rather sort of bogged down at the devil is in the detail, and there are an awful lot of confounders there where you could make some very, very poor legislation.”

Asked if vaccination passports will require new laws which could be difficult to word correctly, Prof Altmann added: “I think the detail is an absolute nightmare and, without being pedantic or negative, requires enormous scrutiny.”

His comments come as Shadow Cabinet Office Minister and Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves said the Labour Party had “many reservations” about the use of vaccine passports in the UK. She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We have an amazing take-up of the vaccine, it is being rolled out incredibly successfully by the NHS – it is not totally clear to me that we need a sledgehammer to crack a nut here. So we will see what the Government bring forward and their rationale for it.”

Health Minister Edward Argar denied that the Government had changed its mind on the use of so-called vaccine passports with vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi previously calling them discriminatory.

Asked yesterday on BBC Breakfast whether the Government had changed its mind, Conservative Mr Argar said: “I don’t think it is that at all.

“I think it is right that we look at this and see if there is a way that, while balancing all of those practical, ethical and fairness considerations, is there a way this could, in the short term, speed up our reopening of the country and getting back to doing the things we love?”

I think the detail is an absolute nightmare. Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London.