​Leaked government report suggests vaccine passports could increase COVID infections

A recently leaked government report has warned of the possible increase in the spread of COVID with the introduction of vaccine passports at clubs and venues.

Worries over the rise in cases following the newly implemented rules in Scotland and Wales, which now ask club-goers to show proof of vaccination when entering a venue, are now rampant.

The leaked report, which was revealed by The Telegraph, revealed that “there is potential displacement between live events venues and hospitality venues.”

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Fears that some punters may also avoid spaces where vaccine passports are a requirement, and instead gather, unvaccinated, in other places, were also stated on the government report.

"A core concern in the sector is that certification could displace activity and business away from music venues to, say, pubs with music and late alcohol licences, etc, which could be counterintuitive and potentially counter-productive,” the study reads.

In July, the blueprint for vaccine passports was laid out by Boris Johnson but was quickly retracted by September just weeks ahead of their planned introduction.The government are now looking into their effectiveness as part of the ‘Plan B’ proposals.

At the beginning of October, Scotland brought in the scheme as clubs reopened in the country, although thousands of people complained about the app - which held the vaccine passport - having "teething problems".

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“People would be searching up their details and the app would tell them that they do not exist,” one student told Mixmag at the time of its introduction.

Adding evidence from the Euros where cases spiked, the study continues: “if certification displaces some fans from structured and well-ventilated sports stadia, this could lead to them attending unstructured and poorly ventilated pubs instead.”

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter