English government will no longer pursue vaccine passport plans

After much criticism, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced the government will ditch the idea of implementing a vaccine passport for entry into clubs and events. This decision comes just after last week when the government announced they would move forward with a plan to begin vaccine passports.

According to BBC, Under the passport plan, “people would have been required to show proof – whether of double vaccination, a negative Covid test or finishing self-isolating after a positive PCR test – in order to gain entry to clubs and other crowded events.” Back in July, the English government announced the rollout of vaccine passports once every adult (18+) was able to get a covid-19 vaccine if they wanted to. However, since then, many people like Javid have brought up the discrimination problems a vaccine passport could cause for nightclubs.

“It’s fair to think that most people distinctively don’t like the idea. 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… We shouldn’t be doing things for the sake of it.” – Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom, BBC

Even though the UK will not be moving forward with a vaccine passport system, many countries across the world, including Europe, are still implementing that scheme. Just recently, Scotland became the latest to impose a passport scheme. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stated they will begin their passport system for entry into clubs later this month.

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