New measures regarding Premier League: Johnson
British PM Boris Johnson is taking new measures regarding the English Premier League due to COVID-19, amid growing concerns about the Omicron variant.
The British government is set to compel Premier League clubs and all stadiums hosting sporting events to require fans to show vaccine passports to enter stadiums, starting this weekend, according to the British newspaper Daily Mail.
Boris Johnson has triggered 'Plan B' Covid restrictions, including jab checks at big events, which would require sports fans to present vaccine passports to access stadiums with more than 10,000 people starting next week.
Vaccine passports mean that the Premier League will be notified that it is mandatory for all 20 clubs to ask every fan attending a match to provide proof of vaccination. This decision prevents any fan from entering the stadiums without showing a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19.
The Premier League will play a full schedule next week, beginning on December 14 and ending on December 16, as the national football schedule enters its busiest season around the holidays.
It will almost certainly cause havoc for fans accessing stadiums, who were mostly simply spot-checked for vaccine certification in the first four months of the season when stadiums reopened.
Clubs are also bracing for a backlash from fans, who have been allowed to attend games in huge numbers without having to wear masks or have their vaccination status checked so far this season.