Gov ‘open to talking to operators wanting to use vaccine passports’

19-Jul-2021 - Last updated on 19-Jul-2021 at 09:49 GMT

Covid-status certification: operators wishing to use vaccine passports have been encouraged to liaise with the Government (image: Getty/ Mlenny)

The Government is happy to discuss the practicalities around using Covid-status certification upon entry into venues, The Morning Advertiser (MA) understands.

This comes after reports claimed Covid-status certification could be introduced in the autumn, in a bid to stop pub shutdowns.

The Government is also currently advising businesses such as nightclubs to ask for proof customers have had a double dose of the Covid vaccine or a negative lateral flow test.

In the Government’s guidance, which was released last week, it asks operators to consider using the NHS Covid Pass and says “if sufficient measures are not taken to limit infection, the state would consider mandating the Covid Pass in certain venues at a later date”.

Hospitality Strategy

However, according to a snap poll from the Night-Time Industries Association of more than 250 firms, 82.7% of late-night operators won’t be asking guests for proof of vaccination upon entry.

The MA understands the Government wants to talk to any operators that are looking to use a Covid-status certification scheme, particularly to discuss the practicalities of implementing it.

Meanwhile, business minister Paul Scully is fronting a Hospitality Strategy, which aims to support the sector in its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

It will focus on reopening, recovery and resilience with measures such as using the Department of Work and Pension’s work coaches to highlight the sector to job seekers in a bid to tackle in the recruitment challenges.

Recruitment challenge

A senior Government source said: “One of the great things about hospitality is it's got a low bar of entry into the sector but sometimes that gets mistaken for a low skilled sector, which it is anything but.

“By increasing training opportunities, skills opportunities, whether it is initially through the Kickstarter Scheme, apprenticeships and increasing the rewards and incentives to take on people in the first place through to exploring the T-Levels, having lifelong training, tie ups with universities, getting that best practice.

“Some of this is already happening in parts of the sector then people can see it as a career but coupled with what we want to have is to create opportunities for people in the hospitality sector, not necessarily just within though, to spin off and start their own businesses, which happens at the moment.

“However, it is just having that ethos and environment around you to have the confidence that there is access to finance, consistent business support across the country, to crack on and have a really great opportunity to start new businesses.”