Vaccine passports could end social distancing in venues, arts leaders say

England's arts leaders have called on political party leaders to investigate how Covid status certification could reduce the need for social distancing at venues and festivals.

In an open letter, they say: "We strongly support the Government’s ambition to return to full capacity audiences without restrictions as soon as possible, and we recognise that this can be only be achieved through gathering evidence that it is safe to remove or lessen restrictions".

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Covid status certification, they wrote, should involve vaccination, a negative Covid test or an antibody test. It should not rely on proof of vaccination alone, and "must not be discriminatory". It should be a temporary measure, only used for as long as necessary and with clear exit criteria, the letter said said.

The 20 signatories include English National Ballet's Tamara Rojo; Nicholas Hytner, Director of Bridge Theatre; Alex Beard, CEO of Royal Opera House; Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic; and Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director of the Young Vic.