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No jab? You are prohibited! Bars, restaurants, cinemas and sports venues could reject anyone who has not received the Covid-19 vaccine, the minister warns.
- Restaurants, bars and cinemas can turn people away if they haven’t had a hit
- Airlines have already been examining the idea of asking for ‘immunity passports’
- Some experts said tonight that they were uncomfortable with such schemes.
Restaurants, bars and cinemas can turn customers away if they haven’t received a hit from Covid, the new minister suggested tonight for the mass launch of the vaccine.
Nadhim Zahawi indicated that although an injection would be voluntary, some places, including sports fields, might insist on a test in exchange for allowing entry.
The minister said that individuals would have to decide for themselves, but would receive a “strong message” that the coups were good for their family, community and country.
Airlines have already been examining the idea of applying for “immunity passports” as a condition of flying.
Restaurants, bars and cinemas can turn customers away if they haven’t received a hit from Covid, the new minister suggested tonight for the mass launch of the vaccine.
Some experts said tonight that they were uncomfortable with these schemes and expressed concerns about data privacy and human rights.
The UK has ordered early access to 357 million doses of seven coronavirus vaccines. And on a visit to a pharmaceutical company yesterday, Boris Johnson said it was possible that one of the jabs would be available “in a few weeks.”
The looming prospect of a major vaccination campaign raises questions about whether those who expect a jab, or refuse to receive it, will enjoy fewer freedoms than those with protection. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said last night: “For a long time we have been looking at the questions that Mr. Zahawi was talking about and the question of what is the impact on the individual in terms of what they can do.”
Parliamentarians will deliver their verdict on the Prime Minister’s new coronavirus levels today. Although the plans are likely to be approved, Johnson faces a revolt from conservatives angered by the strict restrictions.
In other developments:
- The ministers finally released a Covid health and economic assessment and tiers approach;
- Rishi Sunak was ready to announce tens of millions of pounds in additional grants for pubs crippled by restrictions;
- A discussion broke out about whether a Scotch egg counts as a “substantial meal” to allow Level Two drinkers to order a pint;
- Environment Secretary George Eustice suggested that the British could be contemplating another six months of restrictions;
- The data showed that hospital admissions are falling, and Hancock said the outbreak was “back under control”;
- Local authorities in Level Three areas, the highest level of restrictions, can request a new six-week coronavirus testing community campaign;
- Confusion reigned in nursing homes after ministers urged families not to bring loved ones home for Christmas, but said it was not against the law;
- Pubs in Wales will be banned from selling alcohol and forced to close early despite the ‘firewall’ blockade;
- Stores could open for 24 hours according to plans to help them recover;
- A survey suggested that Conservative Party members were frustrated by the lack of data on the impact of the closures.
In his first interview since becoming Minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment, Mr Zahawi was asked yesterday about including immunity passports and vaccination status in the NHS Covid app.
Referring to the vaccine, Mr Zahawi told BBC Radio 4: “It is right that it is voluntary. But the very strong message that you will see is that this is the way we return normalcy to the whole country, and it’s good for your family, it’s good for your community, it’s good for your country. ‘
On immunity passports, he continued: ‘You will probably find restaurants and bars and cinemas and other places, sports venues, they will probably also use that system as they have done with the app. The reason the app has been so successful is because many of the places you would go have the NHS QR code that you scan for your own safety. ‘
Nadhim Zahawi indicated that although an injection would be voluntary, some places, including sports fields, might insist on a test in exchange for allowing entry. Zahawi is shown in this file image above
He suggested that service providers could say, ‘Look, show us you’ve been vaccinated.’
But Professor Robert Dingwall, a government adviser, Nottingham Trent University, speaking in a personal capacity, said: “ The idea of vaccine passports in general has been condemned by bioethicists, and there are privacy concerns. medical and a long history of abuse of these types of measures.
‘It was not necessary for the minister to discuss the possibility of companies requesting vaccination status before vaccines are available to those who want them. This may end up feeding the anti-vaccines. ‘
Dr Ana Beduschi, from Exeter University School of Law, said health passports raise “essential questions for the protection of data privacy and human rights.”
A government spokesperson said last night: ‘We have no plans to introduce immunity certificates. Our priority is to make sure we can deploy vaccines quickly if they pass essential security checks. ‘
