Blair: end restrictions for vaccinated people

Former PM’s think tank calls for global virus passports and the right for businesses to refuse entry

‘The ultimate objective should be to have no Covid passes and no restrictions whatsoever’

‘Every time we think it’s over, it finds a way of bringing back uncertainty’

TONY BLAIR has called for the vaccinated to be exempted from Covid restrictions and says businesses should have the right to only admit jabbed customers.

In a report, Less Risk, More Freedom, the former prime minister’s think tank lays out a vision for how the country could remain open if the virus persists in the population.

Mr Blair said he was keen to see the target to end social distancing by

June 21 maintained, but added: “We surely now know enough about this disease to know that every time we think it’s over, it finds a way of bringing back uncertainty.”

The report says vaccination status should be central to international travel and access to domestic venues and it backs the introduction of the so-called Covid passport.

It also says the NHS app, which has an option that lets you show you have been vaccinated, should be replaced by a global system.

The report states: “With this ability, we can move beyond blunt, catch-all tools and align with other countries by removing certain restrictions for the fully vaccinated thereby enabling us to sustainably reopen the economy.”

However, revealed last week that the Government was expected to scrap plans to make Covid passports a legal requirement for large events, after critics warned that forcing people to prove their medical status for social events raised ethical questions.

The report also advocates a policy that would subject venues to fewer lockdown restrictions if they operated a vaccine-only directive.

This would not force businesses to accept only vaccinated customers, but means they would benefit from greater freedoms if they did adopt such a policy. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change says this could be rolled out for venues varying from cruise liners to sports stadiums and restaurants.

Mr Blair said: “What the paper is designed to do is to encourage the Government to accept the principle and reconfigure the system of risk management around it.”

Mr Blair has repeatedly waded into public debate about how the pandemic should be handled, including a report in February that offered his own roadmap out of lockdown.

In the latest proposals, Mr Blair suggests vaccine status should be properly taken into account when it comes to testing and quarantine requirements.

Any latent NHS testing capacity should also be used to offer a cheaper way for families to be tested before they travel, according to the report.

It continues: “The ultimate objective should be to have no Covid passes and no restrictions whatsoever.”

It adds: “However we choose to move forward, for as long as the world goes largely unvaccinated and the risk of a new variant remains significant, it’s vital that we have an alternative to the blunt tool of lockdowns to enable the country to live freely and safely.”

Covid passes could accordingly be switched on and off as a requirement when new variants that threaten particular types of vaccine are identified, or more is learnt about the length of time someone is immune and the need for booster shots. Fully vaccinated people are up to 50 per cent less likely to spread the virus, the paper says, citing research from the British Medical Journal.

A senior government source said: “Once again Mr Blair appears to have learnt of things already in the pipeline and decided to publicly call for them. It’s becoming something of a habit. Nonetheless we thank him for his continued support.”