Scottish licensed trade welcomes Covid passport ‘grace period’

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) welcomed today’s (28) announcement by the First Minister that Scotland’s new vaccine passport system will not be enforced until more than two weeks after it is introduced.

Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament this afternoon that a “grace period” until October 18 will give businesses time to adjust and ensure that there will be no enforcement action against businesses that do not comply with the rules before that date.

Customers going to nightclubs and several other larger event settings will need proof that they have had two doses of a Covid vaccine from 5am on Friday.

Colin Wilkinson, managing director of the SLTA, said: “This is of course welcome news but it would have been better if we didn’t have Covid passports at all. We remain opposed to the scheme – it is a most unwelcome development for the licensed trade and as we have previously stated, it has happened without any meaningful consultation with the industry.

“However, they are being introduced so we implore the Scottish Government to ensure that the technology utilised is robust, reliable and easy to use for customers and the people tasked with policing the scheme.”

Responding to the Scottish Government’s pledge to provide £25 million to help smaller Scottish businesses improve their ventilation systems, Mr Wilkinson said:

“This is excellent news as it will help licensed premises improve their ventilation and ensure the safety of customers and staff.”