The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 and The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2022: equality impact assessment

Policy Objectives

In line with our strategic intent to 'suppress the virus to a level consistent with alleviating its harms while we recover and rebuild for a better future', the policy objectives of Covid Status Certification are to:

• Reduce the risk of transmission of Coronavirus, by ensuring that specified public spaces where transmission risks are higher are used only by those who are fully vaccinated, including a booster or have tested negative in the previous 24 hours
• Reduce the risk of serious illness and death thereby alleviating current and future pressure on the NHS, by reducing transmission in higher risk settings. Vaccination reduces (but does not entirely eliminate ) the risk of being infected, the risk of serious illness and death if infected, and the risk of infecting others
• Reduce the risk of settings specified in the scheme being required to operate under more restrictive protections, or to close, by ensuring that the risk of transmission in these settings is reduced, reducing overall cases of Covid
• Increase the protection enjoyed by those using settings covered by the scheme and their contacts, by incentivising those using the settings to get vaccinated and to test regularly and self-isolate if positive