Only some fans will have their vaccination status checked when entering football grounds when the new checking system begins at the end of next week, Nicola Sturgeon has revealed.
The First Minister said the organisers of large events will only be required to carry out “a reasonable number of checks” of people’s vaccination status rather than adopting a blanket approach.
She told MSPs that officials were working with affected businesses to establish the level of checks that should be considered “both reasonable and effective” to make the vaccine passport scheme work.
In a statement at Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon confirmed that Scotland’s vaccine passport scheme would come into force at 5am on 1 October.
It means that from that time, all adults in Scotland must be able to prove they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 if they would like to go to a nightclub or attend a big event.
People can download their vaccination status from the NHS Inform website, with the document including a QR code that can be verified by venues at the door.
The rule will apply to nightclubs, adult entertainment venues, indoor standing events with more than 500 in the audience, outdoor standing events for more than 4,000, and all events for 10,000 or more.
The Scottish Government also set out its definition of a nightclub: a venue open between midnight and 5am that serves alcohol after midnight, provides live or recorded music for dancing, and has “a designated space, which is actually in use, where dancing is permitted”.
However, ministers appear to have accepted that checking the vaccination status of thousands of Scottish football fans as they enter grounds would be impossible.
It follows comments from Neil Doncaster, the chief executive of the SPFL, who said this was “simply not going to happen” and that spot checks of fans should be used instead.
Ms Sturgeon said on Tuesday that “at a venue such as a nightclub, or at a relatively small event, we expect that it will be possible to check vaccine certificates for everyone in attendance”.
But she added: “At larger events, organisers will be expected to carry out a reasonable number of checks.
“We are working with businesses and environmental health officers to provide specific advice and guidance on the level of checks that should be considered both reasonable and effective to fulfil the public health objective of certification.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2XEAKHG
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