The United Kingdom has announced it will nix plans for implementing vaccine passports, according to Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
The plan was slated to go into effect at the end of September and would have meant anyone entering a crowded indoor public space would have to show evidence of a full vaccination.
“I’m pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports,” Javid told the BBC.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been criticized by some in his governing Conservative Party for raising taxes to match the health and social care crisis. In an aim to appease their complaints, Johnson decided to scrap the vaccine passport despite increasing levels of coronavirus cases.
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The decision marks a contrast from remarks made earlier this month by Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Nadhim Zahawi, who said vaccination passports were necessary to maintain the operation of large venues, which prompted outrage from workers in the hospitality industry.
“It’s fair to say, I think, most people probably instinctively don’t like the idea,” Javid said. “I’ve never liked the idea of saying to people you must show your papers or something to do what is just an everyday activity.”
Other European countries still require vaccine passports, such as France and Italy.
The night-life recreation industry applauded the decision by Johnson’s government. Night Time Industries Association CEO Michael Kill said he hopes businesses would be able to “start to rebuild a sector that has consistently been at the sharp end of this pandemic,” according to a statement obtained by CNBC.
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In Scotland, parliamentarians voted recently to require vaccine passports for crowded venues. The NTIA said the decision puts the industry on a “dangerous path to devastation.”
