Scottish Government defines nightclubs ahead of vaccine passports
Vaccine certification will come into force in Scotland from October 1st
Last updated 21st Sep 2021
With just over a week until vaccine passports are introduced in Scotland the Scottish Government has provided a definition of what a nightclub is.
Updating MSPs at Holyrood, the First Minister said coronavirus vaccine certification would come into force on Friday October October 1st and will not apply to those under the age of 18.
READ MORE: Vaccine passports: how would they work, and how would I get one?
Proof of vaccination will be required for entry to nightclubs, live indoor unseated events of more than 500 people, live outdoor unseated events of more than 4,000 people and to any event of more than 10,000 people.
The First Minister gave further details on the plans in a statement at the Scottish Parliament.
What is a nightclub?
According to the Scottish Government, a nightclub is open between midnight and 5am, serves alcohol after midnight, provides live or recorded music for dancing and has a dancefloor which is in use.
Ms Sturgeon said those businesses affected will be expected to “take all reasonable measures” to ensure they are checking vaccination status when the scheme comes into force.
Spot checks of a smaller number of attendees at larger events will also be allowed, she said, with the Scottish Government currently consulting on what would be considered a minimum number of checks to ensure the safety of large events, such as football games.
But opposition politicians continued to raise concerns about the scheme, with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar saying there were “still big gaps in the detail”.
He added there was also “still limited engagement with businesses affected, and still limited evidence published on the difference it will make”.
He spoke out as Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said businesses were “worried about the impact” of the scheme.
Concerns about the moral and practical implications
Meanwhile Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton complained that “Covid ID cards” would result in “arbitrary distinctions being made between businesses which would lead to commercial unfairness” as well as “eroding the fundamental right to medical privacy”.
With staff at venues to check QR codes to confirm if someone has been double vaccinated, either visually or by scanning them, he added: “Unless your bouncer is Robcop how can venues guard against fraud through visual checking.”
Ms Sturgeon insisted though that the vaccination certificate scheme was a “reasonable thing to do”.
She told critics: “We think it is a proportionate measure to introduce ahead of the winter period to try to help us get transmission down and keep it down, to drive up even further the already high vaccination uptake rate.”