A Dundee nightclub owner says making vaccine passports a requirement for entering venues would be “one step too far”.
Boris Johnson plans to introduce proof of vaccination for entry to nightspots in England from September.
It has raised questions about whether Scotland might follow suit.
A vaccine passport is a certificate that confirms a person has had their Covid-19 jabs or recently had a negative test.
Tony Cohrane, owner of Aura, Club Tropicana, Fat Sams and Duck Slattery’s in Dundee, says he does not believe that Scottish nightclub owners will support mandatory vaccinations.
He said: “I think the general opinion of the club owners is definitely to encourage people to do it, especially the younger ones in Dundee where there seems to be a really low uptake.
“I think to force them is a different matter.
“There are some people who medically can’t take it and other people have their own opinions on it.
“We’d do everything in our power through social media to say it’s definitely worth taking.
“It’s one step too far if they made it a condition of entry.”
During Nicola Sturgeon’s briefing on Tuesday, the first minister said a decision has not yet been made on introducing vaccine passports – but it is under consideration.
She said: “I’ve said many times before that while there are arguments for requiring vaccination to allow entry to certain places, it raises sensitive ethical and equity considerations, not least because there are some people who can’t get vaccinated because of health conditions.
“We are not yet in a position of having a recommendation to vaccinate all younger teenagers so we’ve got to weigh up these things very carefully.”
She added: “Night clubs are not open yet in Scotland for the reason that we think they do pose a risk to transmission.”
“We have to make sure that we are in a position overall where we think that risk can be managed and we’ve thought through all the implications of the different mitigations.
“We will set out the legal basis for anything that we do as and when we take those decisions.”
Tony believes that imposing vaccination passports only in clubs would only encourage those not vaccinated to go to elsewhere.
He said: “There’s this kind of fine line between busy pubs and nightclubs.
“If they’re saying it’s just nightclubs it just encourages people to go to other busy venues that don’t have the enforcement.
‘There will be a surge in house parties’
“That’s the fear in England, it just drives everybody to an alternative venue.
“The other thing is, people who are determined not to get it, there will just be a surge in house parties.”
There is no guarantee that vaccination passports in England will go ahead.
Labour has opposed the UK Government’s plan and it could fall down at a vote.
Saoirse Tierney, a third-year student at Abertay University, believes vaccine passports would not have a big impact on nightlife in Dundee.
Saoirse said: “The thought of vaccination passport needed to get into clubs doesn’t really bother me.
“I think the only thing I’d be worried about is people that can’t get vaccinated for whatever reason not being able to go to clubs anymore.
“I think most young people are kind of jumping at the chance to get vaccinated as quickly as possible but I think clubs would be a pretty good incentive for them.”
“I’d say it would encourage more 18-29 year old’s in Dundee to get vaccinated because it is that age group of people that would go to clubs.”
Covid-19 vaccine uptake among young men in Dundee is at the lowest rate in the Scotland.
Just 55% of men aged 18-29 have been vaccinated despite other health board areas in Scotland reaching over 75%.