Amelia Cutting
In an announcement that came just hours after ‘Freedom Day’ lifted Covid-19 restrictions, Boris Johnson declared that, from September, people will have to show proof of two vaccinations in order to enter nightclubs.
Branded a ‘U-turn’ since the government previously ruled out vaccine passports, Johnson has said that the wait was to allow all over-18’s the chance to get fully vaccinated.
What is the situation in clubs now?
Since clubs re-opened on Monday in England only, they are being encouraged to ask anyone entering to show proof of either vaccination, immunity or a negative test. This is not a legal requirement, however.
Dancefloors are open as in pre-Covid and drinks can be ordered at bars. There is no social distancing/mask wearing and no Covid-related capacity limits either.
Venues, backbench Tories and opposition MPs have all criticised the announcement, with Night Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill calling it ‘an absolute shambles.’
“80% of nightclubs have said they do not want to implement Covid passports, worrying about difficulties with enforcing the system and a reduction in spontaneous consumers, as well as being put at a competitive disadvantage with pubs and bars that aren’t subject to the same restrictions and yet provide similar environments.”
Peter Marks, chief executive of REKOM UK, Britain’s largest specialist late night bar operator, was another from the nightclub industry who was angry with Monday’s announcement.
‘Simply, if we can only let people in that have had vaccine passports- and most of them haven’t – they will just stay in the pubs, they will stay in their friends’ houses, they will go round to their halls of residence,” he argued.
Why has this been decided?
The plan to require vaccination passports in clubs has been decided since the Chief scientific advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, warned that nightclubs could be ‘potential super-spreading events.’
He added:
“I would expect that with opening of nightclubs, we’ll continue to see an increase in cases, and we will see outbreaks related to specific nightclubs as well.”
It is for this reason that many think they are a good idea. Some think it would ‘encourage’ young people to get the vaccine in an incentive way, and think it is necessary to stop the spread among this age group. In fact, a YouGov survey found that 57% of people aged between 18 and 25 said they supported compulsory vaccinations to enter nightclubs.
Those who don’t want to be vaccinated?
But what about those who do not want to get the vaccination? It is a choice. Yet by discriminating against those who do not have both jabs and taking away their freedom to go wherever they want to, is it a choice anymore?
Mark Harper, the former Conservative chief whip and chair of the Covid Recovery Group of Tory lockdown-sceptics, has criticised the vaccination plans, saying they are ‘effectively moving to compulsory vaccination.’
Some believe that a PCR test should be accepted and enough for people who either do not want or can not get vaccinated, to keep the vaccination as a choice.
talkRADIO presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer warned via a Twitter broadcast that ‘vaccine passports’ for nightclubs represented ‘a slippery slope of becoming a two-tier society with medical apartheid.’ Viewed by at least 28,800 people, it highlights concerns that freedom to choose is being taken away.
Use of vaccination passports in other venues
Johnson has declined ruling out extending the requirement to pubs and football stadiums. The government ‘reserves the right to do what is necessary’ to protect the public.
Featured image courtesy of Lukas on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
Amelia Cutting
I'm Amelia- a graduate from the University of Leeds and current NCTJ Level 5 Diploma student!