As the first step towards resuming mass events in COVID-battered UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce the details of trial events and the widely criticised ‘COVID passports’. The measures will include details on how the authorities will ensure ventilation and testing before and after the events. The Football cup finals, The World Snooker Championship, a cinema house and a comedy club will be used to put the covid passports to the test. 

The National Health Service (NHS) will be establishing a system by which people can gain access to events and slowly usher back normalcy.  The trial phase is expected to be wrapped up by mid-May followed by complete easing of restrictions by June 21. According to reports, the trial will be initiated on April 16 at a Comedy Night in Liverpool.

Also read: UK allows outdoor gathering but urges caution amid second COVID-19 wave in Europe

While the details of the certification are yet to be finalized, criticism has been growing against the use of vaccine passports. The domestic vaccine passport relies on the proof of either immunity through a covid vaccine or a recent negative test. According to the opposition, this might create a system of discrimination for those who may not have access to such documentation. It is estimated that the results of the trial will be used to deploy the same system in other settings. 

With a loss of more than 1.26 lakh lives, UK has the 5th highest number of death toll on record. Now with the talks of a vaccine passport, concerns have been expressed not just by the opposition but also Johnson’s own party who are seeing this in conflict with civil liberties.