The UK government has announced that it will push ahead with plans to require coronavirus vaccine passports as a requirement for entry into nightclubs in England.
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The scheme was first announced in July, but there had been speculation that it would be dropped following backlash from industry leaders, as well as some MPs.
Now, however, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that the scheme will go ahead as originally planned.
“We set out broadly our intention to require our vaccination for nightclubs and some other settings and we’ll be coming forward in the coming weeks with details for that,” they said.
The news has been met with criticism from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), who said in a statement that the announcement is “disappointing as it will cripple the industry.”
NTIA CEO Michael Kill said: “Surely the government can see this is not workable. The challenges are endless, and the sector will be hit extremely hard by this decision, embroiled in discrimination cases, staffing and supply chain shortages, tourism and so on.
“We are trying to rebuild! The government’s attempt to differentiate between businesses within our sector is extremely difficult, even for people who live and breathe this industry. Whether it be market segmentation or capacity limits, it’s not a workable position, there are too many variables and the businesses are too diverse, it cannot be easily categorised.”
He added: “The government needs to listen to real operators who can give them real feedback on these challenges, these policy decisions will have a catastrophic impact on people’s livelihoods and careers.”
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