Closing on 29 March, the UK government is calling for evidence on whether to introduce Covid-status certification, commonly referred to as the ‘vaccine passport’.
The proposed certification would show, probably electronically, if someone was vaccinated or had been tested, and could be voluntary or mandatory in different settings to allow people access – from pubs to concert halls.
This consultation has only been open since 15 March, and the short window of opportunity to respond may not lead to the government’s stated aim ‘to ensure that the [resulting] recommendations reflect a broad range of interests and concerns’.
It is therefore important that leisure-time music groups respond to the call for evidence if they can, to help government understand the potential impact of mandatory vaccine passports on their activity, their events, their venues and the musicians they engage.
Making Music will also be making a submission on this issue. After looking into some of the legal, operational and financial considerations which may arise from such a scheme, we have concluded that the introduction of Covid-status certification could have significant adverse impact on leisure-time music, its participants and audiences, and the volunteers who lead and organise groups.
Members of Making Music can access a briefing document with more information by logging into our website.
For details of the call for evidence and how to respond, visit the Gov.uk webpage
