The Telegraph is reporting this morning that covid passports, which will enable people to show that they have been fully vaccinated, will be rolled out next month.
The paper claims that the Department of Transport wants an official certification scheme to be in place by May 17th. It’s intended that fully vaccinated British holidaymakers will receive a document that will enable them to sidestep tests and quarantines.
More than 20 countries have indicated that they will require proof of vaccination before admitting tourists. The UK government hopes these countries will allow vaccine certified tourists to travel freely within their borders.
Greece has said that it will drop quarantine rules for travellers from more than 30 countries if they have been vaccinated or tested negative on departure. The certificate is likely to be digital, but paper documentation hasn’t been ruled out. According to The Telegraph;
Critically, the proof of having received a Covid jab would be certified by UK Government, meaning it would be accepted by countries demanding evidence before entry.
The advanced state of the plans emerged after The Telegraph learnt of details of a telephone call between government officials and industry figures.
The call took place on Wednesday afternoon between members of the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group and involved discussion of the latest thinking on border reopenings.
A government official on the call is understood to have said: “We aim to give people the ability to prove their vaccine status by the time international travel restarts where other countries require it. The earliest that will restart is May 17.”
Cabinet secretary Michael Gove is leading a government review into the feasibility and the ethics of introducing vaccine passports for overseas travel and domestic use. He’s expected to report his findings next week.
Gove and UK Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van Tam, have been visiting Israel this week. Israel has been running a domestic vaccine passport scheme for over two months.
Israeli’s who wish to go to the cinema, theatre, shopping centre, gym or the pub, must provide proof that they have been vaccinated.
