Scots to need vaccine passports for large events

Vaccine passports are to be required for entry to nightclubs and many large events in Scotland from later this month, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The plans will apply to indoor and outdoor events, and will need to be signed off by MSPs next week.

Ms Sturgeon said the move was needed to help stem the recent surge in the number of cases.

A further 6,107 people have tested positive, with the number of people in hospital doubling in the past 10 days.

And several areas of Scotland are among the regions with the highest rates of the virus in Europe.

The new vaccine certification rules mean people over the age of 18 will need to show they have had both doses of the vaccine before they are allowed entry to:

  • Nightclubs and adult entertainment venues.
  • Unseated indoor live events, with more than 500 people in the audience.
  • Unseated outdoor live events, with more than 4,000 people in the audience.
  • Any event, of any nature, which has more than 10,000 people in attendance.

The new rules will impact on many concerts and music festivals in Scotland.

Anyone who has good reasons for not getting fully vaccinated – including children and people with particular medical conditions – will be exempt.

People can already request a paper copy of their vaccination record to allow them to travel, and from Friday they will be provided with a QR code so they can download a copy of the record to keep on their phone.

A similar scheme will be introduced in England at the end of this month, with people needing to have a “Covid pass” to access “higher risk” settings such as nightclubs.

Several other European countries – including France, Italy and Ireland – have already introduced certification.

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