Premier League players, match day staff and fans must have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine as of October 1 in order to participate in matches.
The news comes after the British government announced that fans would need to show an NHS Covid-19 passport, which shows their vaccination status, to participate in matches from the beginning of October.
Athletic reports that the declaration of mandatory vaccination will be part of the government’s intention to allow the football season to continue, even in the event of another winter suspension.
At this time, the use of such Covid-19 passages is only recommended by the government “in facilities or events where people are likely to be in the vicinity of a large number of people from other households for an extended period of time”.
However, Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi has claimed that they will soon be necessary and that a negative test result would no longer be considered sufficient evidence that someone is not infected with the virus.
This means that Premier League clubs are in a hurry to ensure that all staff at the club are fully vaccinated in early October, which is now just over two months left. In addition, the 2021/22 campaign is set to start in just three weeks, with the return of full presence to the stadium for the first time since March last year.
Despite the logistical minefield that this announcement presents to the clubs, it is said that Premier League clubs are fully on board with the government’s strategy that all players, staff and fans should be fully vaccinated – as they believe that having a Covid-19 pass will help everyone avoid the spread of the virus and cause further disruption.
Supporters, on the other hand, may not be so happy with the news. Covid-19 “pass” has been a battleground for many across the country. But all matches that are likely to attract crowds over 10,000 must follow as it is, affecting all top games, the majority of Championship matches and some League One and League Two clashes.
