The government has officially launched its review into whether vaccine "passports" should have a place in the UK.
Officials began a two-week call for evidence today into whether to have a certification scheme that shows jabs, rapid Covid tests, or both.
The review, which will report back by June 21, will look at "the extent to which certification would be effective in reopening parts of the economy and society more quickly and more safely than otherwise".
Boris Johnson has made clear the fourth stage of his roadmap - in which he hopes to end legal restrictions - will not be earlier than June 21.
But a passport scheme could for example help nightclubs, theatres or gigs restart earlier or more fully than they would have done without one.
The review, led by Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, will also consider the “ethical, equalities, privacy, legal and operational aspects” of any scheme.
Ministers are working on a certification scheme for international travel, but the review is about whether they should be used domestically in the UK.
Ministers previously said a domestic passport scheme would be “discriminatory” but were forced to look again after private firms threatened to implement them anyway.
One idea under consideration is re-engineering the NHS Covid-19 app, already downloaded 22million times in England, to allow punters to show their vaccine status or rapid test result.
Another idea is to issue theatre-goers with rapid tests which they take before turning up to an event.
The review will look at “the implications of certification for those unable or unwilling to get vaccinated or tested, including the equalities implications”.
It will also look at possible impacts of any scheme on people’s behaviour, and whether a passport system would reduce risk.
The review will “work closely” with separate pilots on bringing back more tight-knit crowds to theatre and sports events.
Mr Gove said: “This review into Covid-status certification is an important part of our plan to help reopen the country and return to normal.
“However, we recognise that there are complex issues of ethics, privacy and inclusion that need to be fully considered.
“That is why I want to get as many views as possible on Covid-status certification and its potential implications to help inform the review.”
