Vaccine Passports May Not Be Needed for Cinemas, Theatres and Restaurants

The Government’s domestic vaccine passport plans could be scaled back even further as a review on the scheme later this month is expected to report that certification will not be needed at cinemas, theatres and restaurants. Vaccine passports are, however, still likely to be introduced for a range of other venues, along with caps on numbers attending large events. MailOnline has the story.

Pubs are already excused from having to check the vaccine status of punters amid an outcry and now more businesses are set to avoid measures critics say will have a constricting effect on business.

A review is expected to report on the scope of any domestic passport scheme by the end of the month.

But ministers questioned their health benefits at a meeting on the subject last week, the Telegraph reported. 

It also said that there were feared that physical passports for those without smartphones might be a forgery risk.

Amid nosediving hospitalisation rates across England a source told the paper: “This different reality has prompted people saying, ”Well actually, I saw the benefit of it before but do we really need it?'”

However, strip clubs are expected to be one area where passports are required.

The Sun reported today that “adult entertainment venues” will join stadium events and large crowd venues like nightclubs in requiring proof of vaccine status.

They are due to reopen from June 21st under Step Four of the lockdown easing. 

Perhaps the Government did listen to those thousands who marched against vaccine passports in London last month after all.

Worth reading in full.

Stop Press: Merriam-Webster has enlarged its definition of “Anti-Vaxxer” to include “a person who opposes vaccination or laws that that mandate vaccination”. How long before it enlarges it again to include “or opposes mandatory vaccine passports”?

Stop Press 2: Turns out, Merriam-Webster has been defining “Anti-Vaxxer” that way since 2018.