UKHospitality: vaccine passports 'not appropriate' for high street hospitality

UKHospitality has suggested that vaccine passports may not be appropriate for use in restaurants and bars that already have coronavirus safety measures in place.

The government is conducting a review into the role Covid status certificates could have in reopening the economy after previously ruling them out.

This could theoretically see people show proof of vaccination or a negative test prior to international travel or to enter events or venues.

It is understood that hospitality trade bodies are wary of the logistical challenge of pubs or restaurants implementing such a policy, as not everyone will choose to have the vaccine.

A UKHospitality spokesperson said: "Vaccine passports could be useful in helping open up international travel more quickly, if used alongside other measures. We do not think that such a measure is going to be appropriate for day-to-day hospitality businesses, though. Businesses have already put measures in place to ensure that venues are safe. They will be opening under tight restrictions and approaching the job of reopening with a wealth of experience from last year.

"In many cases, businesses have spent huge sums of money, changing layouts, overhauling staff training and ramping up cleaning regimes. This should be enough to ensure guests and staff are kept safe. We need to remember that hospitality is only linked to a tiny number of cases.

"Mandatory use of a vaccine passport will likely lead to headaches, place an extra burden on staff and cut revenue needlessly at a time when businesses cannot afford it."

The Times today reported that the NHS contact tracing app could become a digital Covid certificate to allow people to prove they have been vaccinated or tested negative.

The findings of the government review are expected to be available before stage four of lockdown easing begins, which will be no earlier than 21 June.

Speaking on 23 February, Boris Johnson said Covid certificates were a complex issue and the UK "could not be discriminatory" against people who were unable to take the vaccine.

He said: "We've never thought in terms of having something you have to show to go to a pub or theatre. There are deep and complex issues we need to explore, ethical issues about what the role is of government in mandating people to have such a thing.

"We need to thrash all this out… in the interval I want to see a proper review into the issue."

Photo: Shutterstock