JOHN Swinney has annonced paper vaccine certificates will always be valid as concerns are raised about the new passport app.
The software, which allows people to prove their vaccination status, was launched on Thursday but users encountered problems that left thousands unable to make it work.
Proof of being double vaccinated or an exemption is now required to gain entry to nightclubs and large events, although there is a “grace period” on enforcement for another two weeks after industry backlash to the plans.
Scotland’s deputy first minister suggested the app is now working as intended despite the problems people faced during the first few days.
Swinney stressed that 280,000 people had managed to get it to work by Sunday afternoon, but acknowledged there were still a “very small number of cases” where people were unable to download a QR code as proof of vaccination.
He also revealed there is a “very significant problem” for the system if people have different names registered with the NHS to their passport or driving licence.
Swinney told the BBC Good Morning Scotland programme those people would probably have to rely on paper vaccine passports, so they would be valid “on a continuous basis”.
READ MORE: Here's how to download Scotland's Covid vaccine passport app
He said: “One of the most important foundations of this system must be data security.
“We don’t want to see a situation where people are getting access to the wrong information about individuals so we have to be absolutely certain about the identity of individuals if they are using a different name with a GP registration to the one that’s on their passport.
“That’s inevitably going to throw up a very significant problem for any system.
“We’ll try to resolve those issues with individuals, but ultimately the fallback may well be that individuals have to use the paper copy.”
Mike Grieve, chairman of the Night Time Industries Association, told the programme the vaccine passport scheme was “discriminatory” because people without a passport or driving licence were unable to use the app and described it as a “fundamentally flawed policy”.
“We’ve said repeatedly that the policy was going to meet with real difficulty for operators and that uptake amongst the cohort that the government seeks to coerce into uptaking the vaccine is not going to be affected by this,” Grieve said.
“We don’t agree with the imposition of a vaccine passport in the first place, but if there is to be a vaccine passport then it shouldn’t be applied to one small sector of the economy, it should not be simply applied to late-night hospitality and it should not be focused purely on double vaccination.”
Responding to comments about people without valid identification being unable to use the app, Swinney said: “What you do then is you get a paper copy, so it’s not discriminatory in any way, shape or form.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel