The results from James' survey show that the majority of participants would support the use of "Covid Passports" showing either a negative test result or vaccination data for hospitality venues, returning to offices, non-essential retail, sports and cultural events, social gatherings, places of worship, and international travel.
Just under three-quarters of participants would also support care workers being required to have a vaccination as part of their employment conditions.
Over 100 constituents took part in the survey. The results show stronger support for showing vaccination data in each of the settings than for showing a negative result. Although not fully representative, it was helpful to receive such a wide range of responses, which James will take into account in discussion and debates in Parliament as part of the government's ongoing review.
As part of the Roadmap to re-opening and lifting the restrictions, the government has announced a review of Covid status certification - or what some call Covid passports. By this the government means using testing or vaccination data in different settings such as pubs, workplaces, or for international travel as part of reopening the economy and reducing rules on social contact. This raises practical questions about how it could be done effectively as well as ethical, equalities, and privacy issues. The Government will set out its conclusions in advance of Step 4 which is no earlier than 21 June.
Commenting on the results James said: “The successful rollout of vaccines and increased testing has put the issue of so-called Covid passports on the agenda as we reopen the economy. These results indicate support for hospitality, workplaces, international travel and other settings to confirm you’ve had the vaccine or a negative test result. This is a useful snapshot of local opinion ahead of the government’s review into the practical, legal, and ethical issues.”
Results
