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(Alliance News) - Plans to introduce vaccine passports in England for nightclubs and other crowded venues have been scrapped in the latest of the UK government's coronavirus U-turns.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed the proposals "will not be going ahead" on Sunday, just days after ministers had defended the policy to sceptical members of Parliament.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously announced that members of the public would be required to show proof they have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in order to gain entry to clubs and other large-scale events in England.
But following a backlash from Tory MPs, the Health secretary said the idea had been shelved.
He told the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show: "I've never liked the idea of saying to people you must show your papers or something to do what is just an everyday activity, but we were right to properly look at it.
"We've looked at it properly and whilst we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I'm pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports."
The announcement came shortly after Javid had appeared on Sky News and told host Trevor Phillips a final decision had yet to be made.
He said: "We haven't made a final decision as a government."
The UK hospitality sector welcomed the news.
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said: "We hope that businesses will now be able to plan for the future with some degree of certainty, regain confidence from customers and the workforce, and start to rebuild a sector that has consistently been at the sharp end of this pandemic."
While Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester and co-founder of Parklife Festival, said the idea had been "untenable and illogical".
He said: "The plans were untenable and illogical and there were multiple factors which would have been discriminatory and legally questionable.
"As a sector, we can now move forward, without hesitation or vague regulations."
Vaccine passports had caused growing disquiet among Tory ranks, as well as facing opposition from opposition parties and industry figures.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi faced a fierce backlash when he defended the policy in the Commons on Wednesday, with Tory MPs accusing the government of picking an "unnecessary fight" with them.
The decision means Covid measures in England again deviate from those in Scotland, where a motion on their introduction was passed in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, while a decision is expected in Wales next week.
Javid also said he wanted to remove the need for PCR tests for travel "as soon as I possibly can".
But asked whether ministers were removing too many measures designed to keep the public safe, he said the government should not be introducing coronavirus measures "just for the sake of it".
He told The Andrew Marr Show: "There's a lot of defences, we've just gone through some of them, that we need to keep in place, because this virus hasn't gone anywhere.
"There's still a pandemic so of course we need to remain cautious. But we just shouldn't be doing things for the sake of it or because others are doing, and we should look at every possible intervention properly."
Meanwhile, Johnson is due to set out the government's plan to tackle coronavirus over the coming months, with a reluctance to impose further lockdowns and a focus on vaccination.
The UK prime minister will host a press conference next week, as a decision is expected on how to roll out a booster jab programme.
Johnson is expected to say that vaccines will continue to be the first line of defence over the autumn and winter, a high-risk time for coronavirus as other respiratory illnesses circulate.
And in a move away from locking down the country, a number of powers allowing the government to shut down sections of the economy in England are set to be repealed.
Johnson said: "Thanks to the efforts of the public, the NHS and our phenomenal vaccination programme, we reached Step 4 in our road map and life has returned to a sense of normality.
"These extraordinary times required necessary but intrusive measures. But I'm determined to get rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences.
"I will set out the next phase in our Covid response shortly."
The powers expected to be repealed under the Coronavirus Act include those allowing the closing down of the economy, the imposing of restrictions on events and gatherings, the power to temporarily close or restrict access to schools, and powers to detain infectious people.
The government also expects the independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations & Immunisation to recommend details of a jab booster programme next week.
There are plans in place to begin giving booster jabs to the most vulnerable as early as this month.
However, Andrew Pollard, whose team developed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said on Friday that he believes the priority should be to donate vaccines to countries where people are still awaiting a first dose.
His views have been echoed by his Oxford colleague Sarah Gilbert, who helped design the vaccine, and who said booster jabs may not be needed by everyone.
The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said on Thursday that the Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca PLC jabs are safe to use as boosters, but the JCVI has yet to give its advice to ministers.
The JCVI has already said a third dose should be offered to people with severely weakened immune systems.
Several other countries, including the US, Israel, Hungary, Germany and France, have announced or have started third dose programmes for at least some of their citizens.
The UK's chief medical officers are also drawing up advice to government on whether children aged 12 to 15 should be vaccinated after the JCVI said the margin of benefit from vaccinating healthy children was too small to say they should receive a jab.
Meanwhile, it was reported that hundreds of thousands of long Covid patients were waiting up to six months to access clinics specifically set up to tackle the condition.
And The Mail on Sunday reported that PCR tests needed prior to travel will be scrapped, with the day two test required when returning from abroad to be replaced by a cheaper lateral flow test.
The Observer reported that jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds would begin on September 22.
The focus on vaccination comes after reports that ministers were considering a so-called firebreak lockdown in October.
The i newspaper reported an unnamed member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies saying a "precautionary break" could be part of "contingency plans".
But Health Secretary Javid said: "I don't think that's something we need to consider."
He said no decisions are "risk-free" but insisted the "best defence" against another wave of the virus is the vaccine programme.
A No 10 spokesman previously said it is not true that the government is planning a lockdown or firebreak around the October half-term, but added that they have "retained contingency plans as part of responsible planning for a range of scenarios".
They said: "These kind of measures would only be reintroduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on our NHS."
source: PA
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