Scotland's Covid passports 'switched off' for domestic settings

The Scottish government is to "switch off" the domestic portion of its vaccine passport scheme, John Swinney has said.

The legal requirement to show vaccine verification ended on 28 February.

However, businesses and venues were able to operate voluntary, unregulated schemes.

The deputy first minister said it "would no longer be appropriate" for the Covid Status Certification scheme to be used for domestic settings.

It comes as access to free lateral flow devices was removed for people in Scotland.

The measures were announced as part of the Scottish government's Test and Protect Transition Plan.

Responding to a parliamentary question, Mr Swinney said the domestic function of the app would be "switched off".

He said that given Monday's change in guidance on asymptomatic testing, and the ending of universal testing, "it would not longer be appropriate for Covid Status Certification to be used domestically."

He added that the guidance on the Scottish government website would be changed, with the domestic function of the app to be switched off "shortly at a date to be agreed in line with the rest of the UK".