London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Covid: Vaccine passports could help reopen society - Dowden

Covid: Vaccine passports could help reopen society - Dowden

Vaccine passports could be a "tool in the short term" to reopen theatres and sports stadiums, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has said.

The government needs to "look at all options" to "make areas of our national life viable", he said, but no decisions have yet been made.

And he insisted the roadmap for lifting restrictions in England was on track.

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford said there were "prizes to be won" with vaccine passports.

Under the government's four-step plan to ease England's lockdown, all legal limits on social contact could be lifted by 21 June, if strict conditions are met.

While most social gathering rules are due to be fully lifted outside on 17 May, social distancing rules and limits on capacity will remain indoors for at least a further five weeks for venues like cinemas, museums and theatres, and for sporting events.

The prime minister has suggested pub goers could be asked to provide a vaccine certificate as part of a wider review that could report in May. But he said vaccine passports would not be considered until everyone has been offered a jab, which is due to be by the end of July.

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, Mr Dowden said no decisions had yet been made about Covid certification.

He said it was important to examine this in order to reach "a much greater easing in the middle of June" as planned, but it is "not the only factor".

Mr Dowden said he completely understood "concerns people have raised on civil liberties grounds" and that was why the review currently being undertaken by the cabinet office minister, Michael Gove, was so important.

He said pilots would begin from the middle of April to look at things like ventilation, one-way systems and tests on how the virus spreads at indoor and outdoor events.

The success of the vaccine rollout and the better weather in the summer months would also be crucial factors, he added.

There will initially be social distancing at sports events

Wales' First Minister Mr Drakeford said he was prepared to consider coronavirus certificates on a "four-nation basis" but the system had to be "fair and reliable".

He told The Andrew Marr show that he had spoken with Michael Gove and the first ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland on the matter this week.

"I think there are definitely prizes to be won through domestic vaccine certification, but there are very big practical and ethical challenges to face as well," he said.

"What about those who can't be vaccinated because their health conditions don't allow that to happen? If it's a self-certification system, then what reliance can we put on the fact the that somebody produces a certificate?"

'Switch emphasis'


Speaking on the same programme, Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said vaccine passports needed to be considered as part of a wider package of protective measures.

"It's certainly something we have to consider seriously" in order to "make our activities safe", he added.

Vaccine passports could be used for reopening nightclubs and enabling mass gatherings, said Prof Woolhouse.

He added: "Part of the whole point of living with this virus is we have to switch emphasis, we have to now start thinking about how do we make those activities safe.

"For those activities that it is difficult to make completely safe - I am thinking things like nightclubs, large concerts, mass gatherings - that's where passports come in. Whether it is vaccine passports, test-negative passports or even immunity passports."

Labour has said while vaccine passports "may be necessary", it is more important to get a comprehensive quarantine programme in place for arrivals in to the UK.

Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the priority was closing "the gaping hole in our defences at the border".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
×