Covid Passports

[Khandro]

Keir Starmer came close to declaring a policy position this morning, saying that while he won’t come out against Covid passports at this stage, their potential rollout would be against the “British instinct”.
Is he correct, would a passport system be a good idea ?

[ichkeria]

There’s a difference between having a proof of vaccination, and a “passport” system.
Which as I’ve said before a few tines, may work or be advisable for certain things but is unlikely to work as sort of key to unlock your life.

[New Judge]

//...on a point of fact, its IMPOSSIBLE to provide a proof of immunity.//

Point taken, woofy. I used the term instead of "vaccine passport" which I find absurd. It's certainly correct that nobody can be sure they are immune. Which is all the more reason why this ridiculous idea needs to be kicked into touch pronto.

[ichkeria]

If I have had the vaccination, I don’t care if the person I am meeting has or hasn’t.

[anneasquith]

Tea cake, it is your decision how to behave during this pandemic. Alll I would ask is that you do not put anyone in danger with your actions .

[teacake44]

ann, I was told by government to have the vaccine, they said it works.
I had the vaccine. I was told to wear a mask, it works, it don't work? I wear a mask. How am I putting others in danger. What is putting me in danger right now, is fighting for 2 weeks just to get a repeat prescription from my local doctors, they tell me to contact POD, they just revert me back to the surgery.

[New Judge]

//Alll I would ask is that you do not put anyone in danger with your actions .//

Once you've been vaccinated, anne, you've no need to worry about what anybody around you does. You've certainly no justification to dictate what others do. Just about everything anyone does at present is seen by some to be a threat to everybody else. We'll just have to learn to live with it because life is full of threat and risk.

Vaccination is the only way to allow the country to return to normal. Normal means going about our usual business and participating in the normal social interactions of everyday life. It is not hiding behind the sofa, swerving round everybody you encounter on the pavement as you walk past boarded up shops, pubs and restaurants. Living is not simply remaining alive.

[Khandro]

NJ you make a fair point, but I think you are conflating two issues: one is having documentation that you have had the two vaccinations and the second, how that documentation is put to use.

As an aside; having a booklet which contains all the vaccinations and dates when the person has had them, is considered an asset to both the holder and the medical profession, not an imposition, in some countries - as I've outlined above.

And, can you actually envisage hired 'bouncers' standing at the doors of busy pubs & restaurants checking documents ? I don't think so.

A one-off certificate of covid vaccinations would only be used & be of use while this odious epidemic lasts. Someone above has suggested a stamp in a passport which would be an excellent idea, & before someone comes forward with the usual 'not everyone has a passport' argument, well there are simple alternatives to that for them.

[anneasquith]

NJ. Don’t tell me I am dictating to others .

[teacake44]

At the moment there have been in excess of 30 million vaccines and going up day by day. What other figure do the government require to ease lock down, leading to a complete end.

[anneasquith]

TC. I understand your pain, trying to get something quite simple like a repeat prescription can be very problematic. My experience ,,,,,,, it’s hiding in a drawer at the pharmacy . Good luck .

[vulcan42]

\\ At the moment there have been in excess of 30 million vaccines//
Only another 37 million to go.

[bednobs]

"What other figure do the government require to ease lock down, leading to a complete end."
that IS what's happening isn't it? Ok so some would like it to go faster, some would like it to go slower, but we elect governments to make these decisions for us, so may as well follow them

[teacake44]

I intend popping out shortly in my car, shall I consider that I may hit someone and they die? should I consider that one of my wheels fall off and I die, shall I consider that when I turn the ignition on the car blows up and I shall die, along with who ever is passing my drive, the list is endless. Shall I consider just not going just in case and lock myself in the house until I die. :0)

[teacake44]

Its been said many times on here but eh oh, the government keep on moving the goal posts, and we are without doubt moving into a dictatorship situation. My choice, I won't except that.

[ichkeria]

There's a fair bit of confused thinking going around about these things. I agree with Sir Keir that something that requires a "rollout" doesn't sound particularly "British", but more practically, what would be the point?
Pubs, restaurants etc want your custom: they are not going to be bothered with anything that makes life even more difficult tharn it has been.
Similarly, individual countries are going to have their own particular rules and restrictions.
So by all means make it easy to prove you have had a vaccination, but for God's sake lets not try and "rollout" "jab and trace" because we don't have a good record in that regard :-)

[teacake44]

Its all getting very silly and over the top, we have a vaccine that helps in the fight against covid, we are told that we can alter the make up of the vaccine should a more dangerous variant arrive. At the moment there isn't another battle to fight, you can only do so much. The government need to get the economy back up and running and stop hissing about with stupid ideas. Even C Witty has said we now need to live with it and accept that some will die and always will.

[Khandro]

vulcan; //\\ At the moment there have been in excess of 30 million vaccines//
Only another 37 million to go.//

You are never going to get 100% take-up, or anywhere near that. Large numbers of what is called the BAME community, for reasons best know to themselves, are refusing to be immunised.

Still, if the vast majority is immunised then they can only infect one another.

[Zacs-Master]

I was in favour of some sort of, let’s call it ‘certification’ as some people don’t seem to be able to divorce the word ‘passport’ from the international travel document, but I’m now very sceptical whether it’s going to be needed, domestically. If there’s anyone over 50 who doesn’t want it, that’s their risk. I can see there being a reluctance to have it from the under 35s but as they’re far less likely to contract it, that shouldn’t be a problem, unless they want their foreign holidays and the destination country won’t accept them which is obviously the younger persons issue.

[vulcan42]

Khandro, I was allowing for that, I understand the UK population was over 68 million last year.

[ichkeria]

I don’t think under 35s are less likely to get Covid are they? Less likely to die of it certainly.
I can see the attraction of it for younger people if it means night clubs can reopen.
On the other hand, that’s just a self- justification for enforcement end but necessarily something worthwhile in itself