Sajid Javid says vaccine passports ‘will not be going ahead’

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Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced on Sunday that the Government will not be going ahead with its Covid passport plans. From the end of September, several venues and nightclubs would have been required to verify proof of vaccination when admitting customers, a notion which has prompted significant controversy.

As well as an outcry from some members of the public, vaccine passports have been met with disapproval from several MPs, including Tory backbenchers.

Although he told Sky News earlier on Sunday that a final decision had not been made on Covid passports, Mr Javid later told The BBC’s Andrew Marr Show the plans had been scrapped.

He said: “I’ve never liked the idea of saying to people you must show your papers or something to do what is just an everyday activity, but we were right to properly look at it.

“We’ve looked at it properly and whilst we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I’m pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports.”

Mr Javid told Times Radio the decision was “not a wobble” based on concerns MPs may not have supported the Government on the policy.

The Health Secretary said: “It’s not a wobble. We said we were going to look at this and look at it carefully and we set out what those plans were and the sectors that we were looking at.”

The Night Times Industries Association (NTIA) welcomed the news that Covid passports will be scrapped, adding it was hopeful the sector can start to “rebuild”.

Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, said: “Following an intense political and public campaign by the NTIA, its members and wider industry supporters, we welcome the comments from the Health Secretary this morning regarding the Government’s decision to scrap the planned mandate of Covid Passports from the end of September.”

“We hope that businesses will now be able to plan for the future with some degree of certainty, regain confidence from customers and the workforce and start to rebuild a sector that has consistently been at the sharp end of this pandemic.”

Although Covid passport plans have been scrapped in England, there are still places where proof of vaccination will be required in the UK.

Scotland

England has now scrapped plans for Covid passports, while Wales and Northern Ireland remain undecided on the issue.

But Covid vaccine certificates will be a requirement in some places in Scotland from October 1, 2021.

The rules will apply to everyone over the age of 18 unless they are a participant in a vaccine trial or are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons.

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People aged 18 or over will be required to show proof they are fully vaccinated at the following venues:

• Nightclubs and similar venues
• Adult entertainment venues
• Unseated indoor live events for more than 500 people
• Unseated outdoor live events for more than 4,000 people
• Any event for more than 10,000 people

International travel

The NHS Covid Pass allows people who are fully vaccinated to visit amber list countries without needing to quarantine on their return back to England.

Currently, people who are fully vaccinated must take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 after arriving in England.

These rules also apply to people who have been fully vaccinated under approved vaccination programmes in the USA or Europe.

But people travelling to England from amber list countries who are not fully vaccinated are required to quarantine at home or the place they are staying for 10 days.

People must also take a day 8 Covid test in addition to a day 2 test if they are not vaccinated.

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