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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Nina Lloyd

Concert-goers who have not had Covid vaccine to be charged £700 more for tickets

A promoter has vowed to charge people who have had their Covid vaccine hundreds of dollars less than those without the jab for concert tickets.

Florida-based Paul Williams is encouraging music lovers to get the jab by selling those who have had both doses seats for $18 (£12.69) and those who have not $999.99 (£704.96).

In April the state governor Republican Ron DeSantis made an executive order banning businesses from making customers prove they had been vaccinated.

But Mr Williams thinks he's found a way around the law, which threatens rule-breakers with fines in the thousands of dollars.

"I’m not denying entry to anyone,” he said. “I’m just offering a discount.”

Mr Williams says his plans are designed to encourage people to get the jab (AFP/Getty Images)

But the governor's office has now said the difference in price amounts to discrimination against certain groups of people.

Press secretary Christina Pushaw told the Washington Post: "Charging higher ticket prices for individuals who do not furnish proof of vaccination unfairly discriminates against people who have enumerated rights under Florida law."

Mr Williams is confident he can pull it off partly because the order carries limited penalties, he says.

And the new law doesn't become effective until later in June, by which time he'll be preparing for a gig in St Petersburg.

What do you think of the policy? Let us know in the comments below

The Florida governor's office has since said the difference in price would flout the terms of the executive order (Getty Images/EyeEm)

But since announcing the policy the musician and promoter has faced an online backlash from critics.

He claims one email even warned: "Your fans are going to kill you."

“I didn’t know that caring about my community would make me Hitler,” he told the Washington Post.

He says he's still "sticking to his guns" and has almost sold out of the discounted tickets - though not a single full-price one had been bought as of Saturday morning.

The executive order says businesses in Florida may not demand "any documentation certifying Covid-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or service from the business".

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