Matt Hancock rules out vaccine certificates for domestic use
Matt Hancock has confirmed that the government has no plans to introduce vaccine certificates to allow people to access domestic services like pubs and supermarkets.
Over the weekend foreign secretary Dominic Raab caused confusion when he suggested ministers were still considering the option.
That was despite multiple other officials, including vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi, appearing to rule it out.
But speaking to Sky this morning the health secretary was adamant that such a system was not on the table.
“We do not have plans to do that. There is this international work going on because if other countries require (proof of vaccination) we want to allow Brits to be able to travel to those countries.
“We’d want to be able to facilitate that sort of vaccine certification, but it isn’t anything we’re planning to introduce here”, he added.
It is understood that ministers discussed the introduction of an international system for vaccine certification at a meeting of the Covid-O committee on Friday.
And last week Grant Shapps also confirmed that he had been in talks with officials in the US and Singapore over implementing such a system.
Hancock’s comments came as the government’s new “hotel quarantine” policy took effect.
Under the new rules, travellers from 33 “red-list” countries such as Brazil and South Africa will have to isolate in hotels for 10 days upon arrival in the UK, at the cost of £1,750.
Hancock said that the system was working smoothly so far, after fears over the weekend that it could lead to hefty delays at airports.
“As of 6.30, when I got my latest update, this is working smoothly, we’ve been working with the airports and with the border force to make sure everybody knows the process”, he said.