QR codes could allow vaccine recipients into sports events

MEMBERS of the public who receive the Covid-19 vaccine could be issued with phone QR codes to allow them entry to cultural and sporting events under proposals floated by ministers.

While Downing Street insists it has no plans for compulsory vaccination, several Government sources believe those who are inoculated should be given a form of certification.

This would potentially enable them to attend football matches and other gatherings currently deemed high-risk.

Whitehall sources stressed that the issue had not been discussed formally and conversations were in their infancy.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph last night, one minister pointed out that a vaccination requirement for spectators attending the Tokyo Olympics had already been suggested.

“I think there are lots of people who think it is a logical extension and lots of people are interested in it,” they said.

A second source added that many venues would not want customers or staff entering their premises if they had refused to be vaccinated, adding that certification would provide a strong incentive for people to be inoculated without the need for the Government to legislate.

A recent paper from the Policy Exchange think tank urged ministers to commence a “feasibility assessment for digital vaccination certification”.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “An effective vaccine will be the biggest breakthrough since the pandemic began and a huge step forward in our fight against coronavirus, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives. Only then will we have the information needed to decide the next steps.”