NEW VACCINE PASSPORT CONCERNS

Further concerns have been raised about the use of vaccine passports in the U.K. thanks to a leaked government report that says the measure could cost venues millions and actually fuel the spread of COVID-19.

Compiled by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and published by The Telegraph, the report says that venues would need to hire thousands of new stewards and plan for longer entry times and that turnover could drop between £345m and £2.07b. It also argues that requiring vaccine evidence for entry into venues could encourage people who refuse vaccination to go to poorly ventilated pubs instead.

The government has yet to introduce the measure, but it is in reserve should COVID infections continue to rise and place “unsustainable pressure” on the National Health Service. Nightclubs, indoor settings with 500 or more attendees, outdoor settings with 4k or more attendees (festivals) and any setting with 10k or more people (sports venues) would be affected.

In Scotland, where the scheme was introduced this weekend, it was branded an “unmitigated disaster” by the Scottish Hospitality Group. Some venues closed early, foot traffic was reported to be down by 40% and 550 people were refused entry, reports the BBC.

The DCMS report did point to a number of positives, however, including increased consumer confidence around safety and the potential avoidance of capacity caps or closures.