UK government reveals planned use of 'vaccine passports' for Euros football matches

The UK government has revealed it intends to use vaccine passports for international football matches coming up later this weekend.

For any UK-based ticket holders aged 11 or over, ticket holders will have to provide proof of either full vaccination or proof of a negative lateral flow test up to 51 hours before the event (48 hours from 3 hours before kick-off). Anyone based outside the UK will have to provide proof of an LFT (other private tests will not be accepted). Those who are classed as "fully vaccinated" must have had their second jab up to 14 days before their scheduled match.

Anyone without proof of either of these measures will be unable to attend, government guidance says. LFTs can be ordered to your home for self-administration, or done at a testing site in location areas.

This is the first major time that such measures have been introduced for any public spectator events, but may give an idea as to what audiences should expect when lockdown restrictions ease further. A major roadmap step is currently scheduled for 21 June, if the relevant tests around hospitalisations and variants of concern are met.

A variety of West End shows are hoping to open at capacity later this month, so will be watching the news around spectator events with a considerable degree of interest.

There are 22,000 attendees set for matches on 13 and 18 June at Wembley, though higher attendance numbers may be possible for that figure to rise if these two trials prove successful.

The scheme is similar to some US states, where those vaccinated are able to do a significantly vaster array of things for those who aren't. At the moment, vaccines are open to all age groups.