Yahoo News Covid vaccine passport plans for large events scrapped in England, Sajid Javid confirms
Vaccine passports have been binned, Sajid Javid has confirmed.
The scheme was planned to be rolled out to nightclubs and other large events in England.
However, Mr Javid said the government have pulled the plug on the vaccine passport plan.
Sajid Javid told the BBC: “We shouldn’t be doing things for the sake of it.”
He said they had looked at the evidence before going ahead with the vaccine passport scheme.
He added: “I’m pleased to say we will not be going ahead with plans.”
Now the Music Venue Trust has welcomed the decision.
It said in a statement: “The double vaccine certification programme proposed by the government contained a number of challenges around deliverability, practicality, equality and potential discrimination. MVT has been describing those problems to Ministers and departments for the last two months, and we therefore welcome the decision to not move forward with this policy.
“It is important to reiterate that grassroots music venues want the tools to be able to create safe events. They are experts in risk mitigation, and there is ample evidence that working alongside the live community a great deal has already been achieved to reopen every venue safely.
“Our issue with double vaccination certification as a sole requirement of entry was that it was highly unlikely to achieve improved safety above and beyond those measures already in place and highly likely to create a two tier night time economy which divided venues and customers.
“We await formal confirmation from the government of the scrapping of these problematic passports.
“Meanwhile we continue to encourage everyone in the live music community to please take a test before attending an event, a personal approach to risk mitigation that is highly effective and makes a real difference to the safety of gigs.”
The Night Time Industries Association issued a stark warning about vaccine passports “crippling the industry”.
Initially it was planned the vaccine passport scheme would be introduced at the end of September.
Only last week, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the end of September was the best time to start the vaccine passports at large events.
He explained this was because all-over 18s would have had the opportunity to be double jabbed.
Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey branded the plan as “divisive, unworkable and expensive”.
It comes as Boris Johnson is set to unveil his Covid Winter plan ahead of a “difficult” few months against Covid.
The Prime Minister will scrap draconian lockdown laws.
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