The Mayor of Watford says that hospitality and entertainment businesses have been put in an “impossible position” whether to implement vaccine passports.

Covid vaccine passports will not be mandatory for people to enter clubs, bars and restaurants in England following much debate on whether it could be discriminative or restrictive.

Despite this, Government guidance urges that nightclubs and other entertainment venues with large crowds make use of the NHS Covid pass, that can be accessed through the NHS Covid app.

The pass can show proof of a vaccination, a recent negative test or natural immunity, as a means of entry to the venue.

However since the announcement, Pryzm in Watford along with many other nightclubs will defy Government guidance and reopen without people needing vaccine passports.

According to Mayor Peter Taylor, businesses are being burdened in making a decision to either enforce Covid passports for safety or boost their financial recovery.

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He said: “The government is unfairly placing the burden on businesses to put in place requirements for customers. The hospitality and entertainment industry have suffered a huge loss of income over the past 18 months and just when they are finally told they can reopen the government have put them in an impossible position to implement measures such as vaccine passports with no legal standing.

“If the government truly thinks that vaccine passports are the way forward they should introduce regulations to reflect that along with continuing with other Covid safe requirements. Giving businesses and the public the choice means the government can, once again, abdicate responsibility if it all goes wrong.”

The Mayor emphasised that Covid cases in Watford are rising, and businesses in Watford should have a risk assessment to reduce Covid transmissions.

He explained that ventilation is a key measure that should be considered, but not the only thing.

According to the Mayor, the council’s environmental health team will work with businesses to make sure they meet legal requirements.

He added: “The vast majority of businesses, including Pryzm, and the public, have to date been good at keeping each other safe. For Step 4 and beyond we all need to continue to consider others and act in a way that will prevent further infections and more increases in hospitalisation and deaths.”

Peter Marks, the chief executive of REKOM UK which owns Pryzm and many other nightclubs, explained that instead of enforcing Covid passports, there would be safety measures including thorough air ventilation, increased frequency of cleaning schedules, and staff equipped to enforce crowd management protocols.

Guidance published on the Government website following the press conference said if “sufficient measures are not taken to limit infection, the Government will consider mandating the NHS Covid Pass in certain venues at a later date”.