Covid: Boris Johnson refuses to 'rule out' vaccine passports

Boris Johnson has stressed that he could not “rule out completely” the possibility of imposing mandatory vaccine passports.

The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press conference: “We do not see the need now to proceed, for instance, with mandatory certification.

“It’s just not sensible to rule out completely this kind of option now when we must face the fact that it might still make the difference between keeping business open at full capacity or not.”

He said that “we’re going to keep going” with the coronavirus strategy despite the risks.

“The result of this vaccination campaign is we have one of the most free societies and one of the most open economies in Europe.

“That’s why we’re now sticking with our strategy. In essence, we’re going to keep going.”

However he did warn that higher levels of coronavirus cases mean that “in one way our position today is actually more challenging” than last September.

“I want you to cast your mind back exactly a year and think where we were last September as schools went back and the colder months approached.

“Because in one way our position today is actually more challenging – we have higher levels of daily cases, thousands more, but in many other crucial respects the British people, all of us collectively and individually, are incomparably better-placed to fight the disease.”