London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 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
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×