London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Covid: Scottish vaccine passport scheme could be expanded

Covid: Scottish vaccine passport scheme could be expanded

Scotland's vaccine passport scheme could be expanded to more hospitality and leisure venues amid fears of a new wave of Covid-19 cases over winter.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the rules may need to be tightened in order to prevent a return to lockdown.

This could also include requiring face coverings to be used in more settings, and more home working.

Opposition parties said the "vague" announcement would be of "significant concern" to businesses.

Any changes will be confirmed at the next review of the restrictions on 16 November.

People over the age of 18 currently need to show proof of vaccination in order to enter nightclubs and large events such as football matches and concerts.

The move has been controversial, with all opposition parties at Holyrood voting against it.

There was also an unsuccessful legal challenge by the hospitality industry and teething problems with the apps used to administer the scheme.

Mr Swinney told MSPs that the range of venues required to check vaccine status could be expanded in an attempt to head off a "dangerous" situation over the winter - and in particular the Christmas period.

The deputy first minister said the country was in a "precarious and unpredictable" position, with case numbers remaining at a "concerningly high level" and "intense pressure" on the NHS.

He said it was reasonable to suspect case numbers could rise over the winter period, with colder weather increasing the amount of time people spend socialising indoors and concerns about the COP26 conference.

However, the test positivity results for Blue Zone pass-holders at the conference, based on lateral flow tests, was only about 0.1% last week.

All entrants to the central area of the climate conference must show proof of a negative lateral flow Covid-19 test, unless exempt, on each day they enter the site.

Mr Swinney said: "It is because we want to avoid more difficult restrictions that we cannot rule out strengthening the baseline protective measures currently in place as the best way to head off any prospect of future lockdowns.

"We have been considering whether we may need to extend the Covid certification scheme to bring more settings into scope, such as further indoor hospitality and leisure settings.

"Among other possible interventions, we are exploring how we can help improve ventilation, what we could do to increase home working, and whether changes are needed to extend use of face masks.

"I would stress though that we have not yet taken any decisions about strengthening the existing baseline measures, and we will be discussing options with business sector organisations this week."

'Massive step backwards'


Some business groups hit out at the suggestion that restrictions could increase ahead of the normally busy festive period.

Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said it was "essential we don't take a massive step backwards through the introduction of further economic deterrents".

She said ministers should "urgently get round the table with businesses to demonstrate the evidence for ramping up restrictions and detail what financial support they will make available if they choose to do so".

And David Lonsdale of the Scottish Retail Consortium said he was "sceptical of the value" of Covid passports in stores, coffee shops and restaurants, saying there would be "practical and operational challenges".

He also said a push for more working from home would impact on shopper footfall for city centre stores, saying this was still significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

Football supporters have to show Covid certificates to get into larger games in Scotland


Opposition parties were critical of the lack of detail of Mr Swinney's statement, with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross pressing for clarity about what venues could be affected.

He said: "How can this government take these plans forward when they know the damage the scheme is already doing to Scottish businesses, and the impact it is having on people's jobs?

"Exactly which venues will be impacted by this change? This only brings more uncertainty for businesses sat an extremely difficult time - they need to know if they are on the cusp of being hit by added costs and extra hassle."

Scottish Labour MSP Daniel Johnson questioned whether the government would consider allowing a negative test to be submitted in lieu of proof of vaccination, with the deputy first minister saying this was under consideration.

Mr Johnson added: "It will be of significant concern to all of those running hospitality businesses what the deputy first minister has stated in terms of the prospect of rolling out vaccine passports yet to more contexts, especially given the broad and non-specific nature of his statement.

"While nightclubs have door staff and a natural point to check these things, cafes don't tend to - so the practicalities of checking passports in these settings are hugely more challenging."

Meanwhile Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said there was "no evidence base" for the use of vaccine passports, adding: "They will not save Christmas."


John Swinney said Covid cases may rise over winter as more people socialise indoors

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×