Boris Johnson offers to set a 'time limit' on vaccine certificates to answer critics' fears - Tech

A ‘time limit’ of less than a year could be imposed on the vaccine passport scheme to head off a Tory revolt on the issue, the Mail can reveal.

Boris Johnson will give the green light on Monday to the development of a system of ‘vaccine certification’ as he looks to reinvigorate the economy.

Ministers believe the scheme may be essential in reopening venues such as theatres and stadiums which rely on large crowds.

But the idea of creating a new ‘Checkpoint Britain’ has led to a fierce cross-party backlash, with 72 MPs yesterday signing a pledge to oppose the ‘divisive and discriminatory’ scheme.

There was also a huge outcry over the plans yesterday, with a litany of critics branding the idea as oppressive.

The policy was even criticised by a Government adviser, with Professor Robert West warning they would give people a false sense of security.

The scale of the opposition presents a potential major problem for Mr Johnson if the plans require primary legislation to enact them.

And last night, a Whitehall source told the Mail ministers would try to win round furious Tory MPs by reassuring them that any new passport scheme would be temporary.

While no decision has been taken on how long any scheme should last, the source said it was likely to be no more than a year.

‘It will be time-limited and I think the duration of the scheme will be measured in months,’ the source said.

‘The party will not wear any longer.’

The move came ahead of a major announcement by the PM on Monday where he will address not just vaccine passports, but the Government plans for holidays and the next phase of lockdown. In other developments last night:

The PM prepared to confirm on Monday that the next round of unlocking will go ahead on April 12, with non-essential shops, hairdressers and gyms all allowed to reopen;

Government sources warned that foreign travel could be limited to no more than a handful of ‘green-rated’ countries under a new traffic light system to be unveiled on Monday;

Labour appeared to harden its position against vaccine passports, with shadow business spokesman Lucy Powell saying they could result in ‘the worst of all worlds’;

Hospitality firms launched legal action against the Government over rules that will only allow them to serve customers outdoors from April 12;

The PM urged people not to meet indoors this weekend even if they have been fully vaccinated, warning that the vaccines are ‘not giving 100 per cent protection’;

Pub bosses warned that just 40 per cent of venues may reopen this month as the majority do not have enough outdoor space to be viable without the option of serving customers indoors.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden yesterday defended the idea of so-called ‘Covid status certification’, saying it could help people get back to ‘doing the things they love’, such as going to the theatre or attending live concerts and sports events.

Ministers are hoping to pilot the use of vaccine passports at major events within weeks, with the FA Cup final and the World Snooker Championship among those being considered for trials.

Boris Johnson will give the green light on Monday to the development of a system of ‘vaccine certification’ as he looks to reinvigorate the economy

Recent figures also showed the uptake rate in under-65s who are classified as vulnerable or carers

The government is aiming to offer all over-50s one dose of vaccine by middle of the month before lockdown is lifted

England’s vaccine divide was blown open again with London boroughs dragging behind the rest of the country as the Government pushes ahead with mopping up all over-50s yet to have their first jab

Some MPs are opposed to vaccine certification suggested by the PM which could be needed for Britons to return to restaurants

Families face paying £600 for tests to go on foreign holidays: Traffic light system will require at least £150 per person extra – even if the destination is on the ‘green list’ – but fully vaccinated people won’t need ANY tests

Families face having to fork out hundreds of pounds for Covid tests to go on foreign holidays this summer, even if travel bans on some countries are lifted – but new plans would allow fully vaccinated Britons to avoid tests, it has been claimed.

Under the Government’s traffic light system, each traveller will have to take at least two tests on holidays to low-risk ‘green’ destinations, potentially costing at least £600 per family.

One would be taken 72 hours before boarding a UK-bound flight with another two days after arrival. The latter would be for detecting whether travellers have picked up any mutant strains while abroad.

Last night it was claimed that people who have had two doses of the vaccine could avoid quarantining when returning from a medium-risk ‘amber’ country.

Those who are fully vaccinated may only have to have one test upon arriving back in the UK, the Daily Telegraph reported, compared with multiple tests and a ten-day quarantine for the unvaccinated. It was also claimed that vaccinated holidaymakers could return to the UK from a green list county without having to do a test.

A government source said: ‘For amber countries, you would remove home quarantine. The debate is whether there will be any testing required instead of quarantine.’

There could be as few as 12 countries on the government ‘green list’ for quarantine-free travel initially, with more travel options potentially delayed until July or August. Hesitancy towards the vaccine across parts of mainland Europe may mean that traditionally favoured continental destinations among British holidaymakers are deemed more high-risk than the likes of the US and Israel, where vaccination rates are good.

Plans under consideration by the Government’s global travel taskforce could mean holidaymakers who have been fully vaccinated will be able to return from ‘green list’ countries back to Britain without any tests on arrival, as long as they have negative results from a test taken before they left.

Those who have not been vaccinated would require another test when they get back to the UK.

Fully vaccinated travellers from countries on the ‘amber list’ might need just one further test upon arrival, and avoiding the 10-day home quarantine.

But those who have not been vaccinated would still need to self-isolate for 10 days, being tested on days two and eight.

Travel bans will be in force for ‘red list countries’, and Britons who return from them will have to quarantine in hotels, costing up to £1,750 per person, also being tested on days two and eight.

Ministers believe the scheme may be essential in reopening venues such as theatres and stadiums (pictured) which rely on large crowds

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has defended the idea of so-called ‘Covid status certification’ as it could help people return to ‘what they love’ such as theatres

Mr Dowden stressed that vaccine status is only one element of the scheme, with people also able to show a negative Covid test or prove they have already had the virus to gain entry.

He told the BBC: ‘This is not about a vaccine passport, this is about looking at ways of proving that you are Covid secure, whether you have had a test or had the vaccine. Clearly, no decisions have been made on that, because we have to weigh up different factors, the ethical considerations and so on, but it may be a way of ensuring we can get more people back doing the things they love.’

But Tory critics of the idea yesterday stepped up their opposition – and warned that a time limit would not be enough to tackle their concerns.

Former minister Steve Baker warned that any temporary scheme could be renewed – and pointed out that income tax had started life as a temporary measure.

Mr Baker, deputy chairman of the 70-strong Covid Recovery Group of MPs, said: ‘MPs and the public shouldn’t kid themselves. The state has always wanted ID cards, so this scheme would be about as temporary as income tax – in other words, permanent.’

Fellow Tory Andrew Bridgen said backbench opposition was based on principle rather than the duration of any scheme.

Mr Bridgen described the idea as a ‘vision of hell’, adding: ‘Who would have thought the British public would ever have to show their papers to go to the pub? The whole idea is like something out of North Korea, and I hope that the strength of feeling, not just on the Conservative benches but across Parliament will stop the Government heading off in this direction.’

Some 41 Conservative MPs signed the pledge against vaccine passports organised by the pressure group Big Brother Watch – enough to wipe out the Government’s 80-strong majority.

One MP said the fate of vaccine passports was now ‘in Keir Starmer’s hands’.

The Labour leader suggested this week the idea of vaccine passports went against the ‘British instinct’, but party sources said voting decisions would depend on the detail of the Government’s plans.

Shami Chakrabarti, the former shadow attorney general, launched an impassioned attack on the idea of creating a ‘Checkpoint Britain’.

Baroness Chakrabarti, a former director of the civil rights group Liberty, told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme: ‘It’s dangerous, it’s discriminatory, it’s counter-productive… It’s one thing to have a passport to travel internationally, that is a privilege, even a luxury, but participating in local community life is a fundamental right.’

Professor West, a member of a sub-group of the Government’s expert scientific committee Sage, said the ‘balance of evidence’ was against the idea.

He told Times Radio it would be ‘discriminatory’ to require vaccine certificates in everyday situations such as bars and restaurants, as some people are unable to have the vaccine.

He added that the scheme could give a ‘false sense of security’ to people who might fail to understand that the vaccine cannot give 100 per cent protection against disease.