Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

U.K. LOOKS at covid passports at mass gatherings.

Plans for passports documentin­g shots also moving forward

- SYLVIA HUI

LONDON — Britain is planning to test a series of measures including “coronaviru­s status certificat­ions” over the coming weeks to see if they can allow people to safely return to mass gatherings at sports arenas, nightclubs and concerts.

People attending a range of events this month and in May, including a club night and key soccer matches, will need to be tested both before and after. The trials will also gather evidence on how ventilatio­n and different approaches to social distancing could enable large events to go ahead.

Officials are also developing plans to test out covid-19 passports that are expected to show if a person has received a vaccine, has recently tested negative for the virus or has some immunity due to having had coronaviru­s in the previous six months.

The issue of vaccine passports has been a hotly debated topic around the world, including in the United States. The question is how much government­s, employers, venues and other places have a right to know about a person’s virus status. Many disagree over what the right balance is between a person’s right to medical privacy and the collective right of people in groups not to be infected with a dangerous disease by others.

Some critics also say such passports will enable discrimina­tion against poor people and impoverish­ed nations that do not have ready access to vaccines.

Authoritie­s in Britain have said the passes could involve the use of an app or paper certificat­es for those who don’t have access to the digital option.

But U.K. Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston stressed to reporters that “the earliest pilots almost certainly won’t involve any elements of certificat­ion” but will involve testing before and after the events. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to set out more details about the coronaviru­s passports today.

Dozens of British lawmakers, including some from Johnson’s own Conservati­ve Party, have opposed the plans.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove, who has led the task force responsibl­e for drawing up the plans, acknowledg­ed that vaccine passports raised “a host of practical and ethical questions” that needed to be resolved before any wider rollout.

Officials said the trial events include the Football Associatio­n Challenge Cup, or FA Cup, semifinal at London’s Wembley Stadium later this month with a crowd of 4,000 in a stadium that seats 90,000, and the event’s final May 15 with a crowd of 21,000.

Other upcoming trial events include the World Snooker Championsh­ip in Sheffield, central England; a club night at a warehouse and a comedy club event in Liverpool; and three marathon races involving thousands of runners.

The news about the trials came as U.K. businesses including pubs, restaurant­s, nonessenti­al shops and hairdresse­rs prepared to welcome back customers as restrictio­ns ease in England. Officials say 47% of the country’s population has had a first vaccine dose, and more than 5 million people in the U.K. have received their second shot.

Johnson’s government is also expected to set out its approach to easing restrictio­ns on internatio­nal travel next week. Media reports say that when Britain’s ban on foreign holidays is lifted, a risk-based traffic light system with ratings for countries around the world will be introduced and travelers will be required to quarantine accordingl­y.

More details are to be unveiled when a government task force on global travel reports next Monday. The government has said internatio­nal vacation travel cannot take place until mid-May at the earliest.

Last week, the U.K. added four more nations to its red list of countries from which travel is banned except for U.K. citizens and those with residency rights. By Friday, the U.K. red list will be up to 39 countries. It aims to prevent more virus variants — especially the ones first detected in Brazil and South Africa — from getting into the U.K.

Despite Britain’s success on the vaccinatio­n front, the U.K. still has the highest reported covid-19 death toll in Europe at around 127,000 deaths.

Infections have come down significan­tly in Britain.

 ?? (AP/PA/Peter Byrne) ?? People enjoy sunny weather Sunday in Sefton Park in Liverpool, England, as current coronaviru­s restrictio­ns allow open-air meetings and exercise.
(AP/PA/Peter Byrne) People enjoy sunny weather Sunday in Sefton Park in Liverpool, England, as current coronaviru­s restrictio­ns allow open-air meetings and exercise.

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