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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won one of the biggest rebellions of his premiership from within his own party to make COVID-19 vaccine certification mandatory in the country from Wednesday.
As per PTI report, Adults in England must now show a COVID Pass as proof of being double vaccinated to enter nightclubs, big sports matches and other large events after Parliament passed the rules on Tuesday night, despite 99 Conservative Party MPs voting against the government’s plans.
The Opposition Labour Party had already said it would be backing the plans in the interest of frontline health workers.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a “very significant blow to the already damaged authority of the Prime Minister”.
“It confirms that he’s too weak to discharge the basic functions of government,” he declared after the vote.
The new rules cover indoor unseated venues with a capacity of more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues that hold more than 4,000 people, and any venue with more than 10,000 people.
From Wednesday, proof of full vaccination or a negative PCR or lateral flow test within the last 48 hours will be compulsory for entry to such venues. Other parts of the United Kingdom’s devolved administrations have similarly strict entry norms for venues.
The House of Commons also backed, with fewer Conservative MPs disagreeing, the continuation of mandatory mask-wearing in most indoor settings, and compulsory vaccination for National Health Service (NHS) workers in England.
The scrapping of self-isolation for fully vaccinated COVID contacts, in favour of daily lateral flow tests instead, passed unanimously without a vote.
