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Peter Davidson

Nicola Sturgeon announces covid vaccine passports will not be extended in Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon has announced the covid vaccine passport scheme will not be extended in Scotland.

The First Minister's Cabinet discussed the extension of passports to other parts of society, however after meeting earlier today they decided against it.

It came as Sturgeon announced all of Scotland's coronavirus restrictions introduced in response to the Omicron wave will be brought to an end next Monday.

In the Scottish Parliament, the First Minister said nightclub closures and the requirement for table service in hospitality will come to an end. Attendance limits on indoor events will also be lifted.

Sturgeon told MSPs: "I indicated last week that Cabinet would decide today whether or not to extend the certification scheme to other premises, such as licensed hospitality venues.

"This was undoubtedly the most difficult decision we faced this morning and, yet again, the judgment we have arrived at was finely balanced.

"On the one hand, extending Covid certification could offer public health benefits - ensuring that people attending certain venues are vaccinated or tested reduces to some extent the risks of transmission and also the risk of serious illness should an individual contract the virus in one of these settings.

"On the other hand, we understand that extending certification could create additional costs for businesses at an already very challenging time - and of course the smaller the business, the more difficult these costs can be to bear.

"So the task for Cabinet was to weigh these considerations and decide what - in the current circumstances - would represent a proportionate response.

"Given that cases are now falling quite rapidly, and the current wave is receding, we decided that we will not at this stage extend the Covid certification scheme to other premises.

"We will, of course, reconsider this should circumstances - and therefore the balance of judgment - change in any significant way.

"If cases were to start to rise very sharply again, extension of certification may well be a more proportionate alternative to other, more restrictive measures.

"However, our conclusion today - given the improving situation - is that extending certification would not be proportionate at this stage."

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