PASSPORT TO NORMAL LIFE
■ GOVE LEADS REVIEW INTO THE USE OF ‘COVID COVID STATUS CERTIFICATES CERTIFICATES’ BY PUBLIC ■ VENUES AND BUSINESSES COULD DENY ACCESS IF NO PROOF OF HAVING THE JAB
BORIS JOHNSON says vaccine passports will be inevitable for foreign travel – and may be needed to go to pubs and workplaces in the UK.
The prime minister tasked his former Brexit chief Michael Gove to see if proof of immunisation – called Covid status certificates – could help millions of people out of lockdown and get the economy moving.
But as fears grew that venues could ban unvaccinated people – and firms refuse to hire them – Mr Johnson said there must be no discrimination.
‘This is a novelty for our country,’ he said. ‘We’ve never thought of having something that you have to show to go to a pub or a theatre. There might
be medical reasons why people can’t have a vaccine and some people may genuinely refuse one. I think that’s mistaken but we need to thrash it out.’
Last night, Pimlico Plumbers owner Charlie Mullins insisted all his new employees must have had a jab.
He said: ‘It’s going to be for the protection of our staff and customers so it’s a no-brainer really. The ones that don’t want it, that’s their choice. But I think they won’t get a job, be able to go to pubs, theatres or even travel.’
Mr Johnson said Mr Gove would look at the issue, adding: ‘There are deep and complex issues about the role for government in mandating, or indeed banning people doing such a thing.’
Tech firms have been exploring jab passport apps for the government since December and Sage committee experts have cautiously welcomed them.
Officials said they could work on the NHS coronavirus app which has been downloaded 21million times.
Airline bosses yesterday said they would have a passport scheme ready by the end of next month, and Downing Street said it would lead efforts to agree an international system.
‘There’s no question that’s where a lot of countries will be going, so it’s going to come, whatever,’ the PM said.
Hospitality bosses also said vaccine passports were workable.
The head of the biggest UK nightclub operator, Deltic, said young people would be more accepting than older people.
Peter Marks said: ‘This sort of thing is a sensible way of trying to balance that risk and reopen our businesses.
‘I was asked if it was sensible to have these flow tests at the front door, waiting 30 minutes in a queue. I laughed at the idea. It’s just unworkable.’
But government healthcare law adviser Prof Sir Jonathon Montgomery warned: ‘It’s not going to solve the problem for summer 2021, because the population that is going to use nightclubs is not going to have had its two vaccinations until at least the autumn.’ The PM defended his ‘sensible and prudent’ road map out of lockdown on a visit to Sedgehill School in Lewisham, south-east London – one of thousands now due to reopen on March 8.
Mr Johnson was ‘very optimistic’ lockdown would lift by his June 21 target – though he warned the timetable may slip if data did not pass his tests.
Lockdown hawk Prof Neil Ferguson, however, hinted it may be sooner as new cases fell to 8,489 yesterday – the lowest since October 2 – with 548 deaths.
‘Hopefully at each step we’ll see very limited resurgence of infections,’ he said. ‘In which case, there’s a chance we can accelerate the schedule.’
Covid deaths fell by 1,629 in the week to February 12 but deaths overall are still 29 per cent above average for the time of year, ONS data showed.