The Staff Canteen does not support mandatory Covid vaccine passports

Ahead of tonight’s vote on Covid restrictions in the House of commons, The Staff Canteen thought it was important to voice that as a company it does not support the Covid Pass scheme without evidence that they will stop transmission of the Coronavirus.

Since the pandemic first began, we’ve all had to adjust to a new way of life, but the subject of Coronavirus and its restrictions has unfortunately brought around a divide among us all.

Is it morally wrong to request everyone is vaccinated in order to protect society's vulnerable? Can we not be trusted to make up our own minds on whether we mix with others or not? If we have been fully vaccinated, why do we face a fine for not wearing a mask in public places? If we don’t want a vaccine passport, does that mean we're set to be discriminated against on the grounds of a health choice?

As a hospitality-based company, we’ve had to watch an industry we love and work closely with suffer greatly.

We have not come out unscathed after 18 months of adjustment, financial pressure, and uncertainty. We are as anxious about the introduction of vaccine passports and the impact of them as all of those who work in the sector. As an industry, we have been nothing but compliant, but we believe vaccine passports are a step too far.

The Staff Canteen Founder, Mark Morris, said: “We have seen the impact on businesses in Scotland and Wales, with both countries showing downturns in revenues and increased cases despite tougher restrictions masks and passports.

“However, I feel we also need to think about the moral and ethical side of this, this is health segregation, on an illness that has the same IFR as flu, passports create a coercion where if you want to attend large events, clubs you’ll need a vaccine to do so.

"This is not a system I want my daughter to live in. She should be free to take a medical decision based on a health risk, not simply to socialise - we are on a very worrying path.”

Around 80 Conservative MPs are expected to vote against the Covid Pass scheme, which requires either two doses of a vaccination or a recent negative lateral flow test for large events. There will also be votes on the expanded mask mandates and the return of working from home.