Coronavirus: Second paper to be drafted over Covid passports
- Published
Northern Ireland health officials are drafting a second paper that will look at more measures that can be introduced to manage the spread of Covid-19.
Under the measure, people have to provide a passport or proof of a Covid test result to access nightclubs, pubs or restaurants.
Sinn Féin, SDLP, Alliance and UUP ministers backed the proposal.
DUP ministers voted against it.
Before ministers voted, it emerged that health officials warned that tougher restrictions may be required before Christmas even if proof of Covid status comes into force.
In its briefing paper for ministers, the department said that "further immediate measures are required to increase adherence to continued mitigations, including use of face coverings, work from home, outdoor meetings, ventilation and limiting contacts".
The paper also said that the number of positive cases had rise by 23% in Northern Ireland in the past week, hospital admissions were up 19% and hospital occupancy levels up 10%.
What was the reaction to the Covid passports vote?
Speaking after the vote, Health Minister Robin Swann said ministers "have to act".
He said that the a Covid passport was not the only option for people wanting to enter hospitality premises under the scheme - people could also use a negative lateral flow test taken in the previous 48 hours or proof of a positive PCR test taken in the previous 30 to 180 days.
The plan would mean the regulations would take effect from 29 November but will not be legally enforced until 13 December as there would be a 14-day grace period before fixed penalty notices could be issued.
It is understood the measure would apply for access to:
- nightclubs
- hospitality venues which serve food and drink
- cinemas, theatres, concert halls and conference centres
- indoor events with 500 or more attendees with some or all of the audience not normally seated
- outdoor events with 4,000 or more attendees with some or all of the audience not normally seated
- events where more than 10,000 people will be present regardless of whether they are seated
DUP First Minister Paul Givan said that the regulations should be put to a vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly before it takes effect and other party members have been critical of the plan.
The chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, Colin Neill, also criticised the decision, saying that it - coupled with a lack of financial support for the sector - signalled that the industry was "of no value or concern".
How did we get to this point?
High-level discussions about introducing mandatory Covid passports for domestic use in Northern Ireland have been taking place since late summer.
At that stage, few of the political parties supported the idea. In September, the SDLP's Infrastructure Minister Ms Mallon proposed the move to other executive colleagues.
It was voted down at that stage, with ministers instead opting to put in advice around vaccine certification mitigations but this was not legally enforceable.
Ms Mallon and the Alliance Party's Justice Minister Naomi Long both said they wanted to see compulsory vaccine passports being introduced ahead of the nightclub sector reopening in Northern Ireland on 31 October, when social distancing rules were also scrapped in hospitality venues.
In mid-October, Stormont ministers published a contingency plan which referred to the "potential" deployment of Covid-19 status certification in "higher risk settings" but said it would require agreement from the executive.
On 1 November, the Department of Health released the COVIDCert Check NI app to allow businesses to scan vaccine certificates "voluntary use" of vaccine checks in hospitality and entertainment venues.