Vaccine passport division as Halloween deadline looms

VACCINE passports remain a divisive topic among politicians at Stormont, businesses in the hospitality sector as well as members of the public.

Many business owners and people from the south Tyrone area have been hesitant or reluctant to comment on the passports as it has become a controversial subject.

What exactly is a vaccine passport? It is a document that provides proof that a person has been double vaccinated. It can be in digital form, for example in an app or in paper form in a vaccination card.

Vaccine passports have been used for travel and gaining entry into hospitality venues and have already been introduced in countries across the globe including in parts of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Last Thursday the Stormont Executive announced that the legal requirement for social distancing of 1m (3ft) in pubs and restaurants would be removed from October 31.

Businesses will be asked to put mitigations in place such as checking customers for vaccine certificates. Crucially however, businesses will not be legally required to do this. It will be a voluntary vaccine passport scheme.

Deputy First Minister, Michelle O’Neill has made clear that a mandatory vaccine passport scheme may be something that the Executive would have to return to at some point.

She said “We don’t want to go down the mandatory route if we don’t have to, we want to try and work with the hospitality sector to have them open and safe.”

Not every party is pleased by the decision announced on Thursday. The SDLP have been strongly for the introduction of a mandatory vaccine passport scheme to be put in place in bars and restaurants as well as other indoor venues.

Firmly opposed are the DUP as the party’s Mid Ulster MLA Keith Buchanan made clear, “With Covid passports going in Republic of Ireland and other UK regions, there would be limited benefit in introducing them in Northern Ireland at this stage.

“We’ve over 80 per-cent vaccination rate in Northern Ireland and I will play my part in driving that up as far as possible as it is our best means of reducing pressures on hospitals and getting us back to normal.”

Hospitality Ulster, an organisation which represents hundreds of businesses in the sector including many in south Tyrone were pleased by the decision announced on Thursday.

They have stated, “The removal of social distancing will give hospitality businesses a huge lift as it will allow customers the opportunity to socialise normally and even enjoy a drink at the bar once again – a major element of our traditional pubs.

“The Executive has asked for a voluntary vaccine passport initiative to be introduced. We will work in partnership with the Executive to develop guidance for our industry to ensure that hospitality businesses continue to provide a Covid secure environment as we return to proper trading. We encourage all business owners to take up the voluntary scheme and use it as an opportunity to reassure customers.”

Jacqueline Mullan co-owner of the Courtyard Restaurant in Cookstown said that if a vaccine passport scheme was introduced both sh and her staff would not feel comfortable asking customers for proof of vaccination.

She says, “It’s a personal issue. I don’t believe it’s anybody’s business what people do. I’ve never asked anybody if they’ve had their MMR vaccine or any other vaccinations, I feel it’s not my call to ask people private information. You also don’t know how other people are going to take it so you have to be very mindful.”

Emmett Quinn, owner of The Tailors House Bar and Restaurant in Ballygawley said he understood why the Executive want to ask people to present a vaccine passport when entering a hospitality setting.

He continued, “However, we in the hospitality sector have been met with many challenges since we reopened not least rising costs, staffing shortages, increased wages and limitations on capacity.

“ I believe that it is completely unfeasible for us to set aside resources to check every single customer for a vaccine passport whilst trying to run a busy restaurant and make a profit. I’m not sure what the resolution is to this but we may need more support to carry this out thoroughly.”

Speaking several weeks ago, the SDLP’s Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone said, “Introducing vaccine certificates would encourage more people to get vaccinated, protecting them and those around them from serious illness, it would also protect our health service and all the staff out there who deal with the public on a daily basis.

“The only alternative is another lockdown and nobody wants to see that, particularly when many people are looking forward to
spending Christmas with their families after the disappointment of last year.”

By Rebecca McGirr