Amidst much controversy and growing backlash, the UK government is apparently planning on introducing a “trial run” for COVID-19 vaccination passports.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning on introducing vaccination passports to allow entry into a few high-profile public events, including upcoming football matches and the World Snooker Championship.
Apparently even the Brit Awards may also require a vaccination passport for allowing entry into the event.
The UK government recently told The Telegraph that a new app developed by the NHS will be used to track people’s vaccination status, antibody levels, and information about recent COVID tests.
The trial run may take place this month and the next, and depending on the success, it will probably be used for other events and venues in June as well.
Boris Johnson, in what appears to be an indirect hint at a much larger and nation-wide use of vaccination passes, said that using them may “give maximum confidence to business and to customers here in the UK.”
While the UK government has been planning on running a trial in the coming few days, there has been increasing resistance from several MPs who are against the idea of vaccination passports being implemented across the country.
“With high levels of vaccination protecting the vulnerable and making transmission less likely, we should aim to return to normal life, not to put permanent restrictions in place,” said Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1992 Committee of Tory backbench MPs.
Despite strongly supporting COVID-19 lockdowns implemented by the UK government, the Labor Party has opposed the vaccine passport initiative. Even former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn had also spoken against vaccination passports.
“My instinct is that, as the vaccine is rolled out, as the number of hospital admissions and deaths go down, there will be a British sense that we don’t actually want to go down this road,” said Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
As of now, more than 70 MPs have signed onto a campaign opposing vaccine passports, with civil liberties advocacy group Big Brother Watch also backing the campaign.
“We are in real danger of becoming a check-point society where anyone from bouncers to bosses could demand to see our papers. We cannot let this government create a two-tier nation of division, discrimination, and injustice,” said Silkie Carlo, the head of Big Brother Watch.
