Covid passport trials for mass events in England
The government is to trial a series of measures in England, including Covid passports, to allow the safe return of sports matches, events and night clubs.
Passes would show if a person had been vaccinated, had a recent negative test, or natural immunity.
Trial events in the coming months will also explore how ventilation and testing before and after could help audiences return.
The pilots, which will include the FA Cup final, will last until mid-May.
But some of the listed events will not be trialling vaccination certification.
Meanwhile, Downing Street has confirmed countries will be in a risk-based “traffic light” system when foreign holidays resume.
The pilots will include the FA Cup semi final and final in London’s Wembley Stadium, the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, a mass participation run at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, and several events in Liverpool including an evening at a nightclub, a business conference and a cinema screening in the city.
The first pilot event will be a comedy night in Liverpool on 16 April where audience members will be tested for Covid before and after the show.
Prof Iain Buchan, of the University of Liverpool, will be helping to run testing for the Liverpool-based trials. He told BBC Breakfast that vaccination would not be a criteria for admission to these events.
He said taking part in the Liverpool pilots would involve “giving your consent to take part when you book a ticket; receiving text messages about hands, face, space, fresh air; minimising unnecessary contacts before the event; getting tested within 36 hours, ideally as close to the event as possible; ideally having a test earlier in the week”.
Prof Buchan added: “Don’t go on the day if you have any symptoms. All the events will be in very well ventilated places and the ventilation will be studied, and people will be asked to minimise contacts and get another test five days after, for the purpose of research.”