AG Barr Opposes Bill Gates Proposal for COVID-19 Vaccine Certificates

Attorney General William Barr speaks at a the National Sheriffs' Association conference in Washingon on Feb. 10, 2020. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

Attorney General William Barr came out in opposition to a proposal floated by Bill Gates for people to eventually gain certificates for being vaccinated against the CCP virus.

“I’m very concerned about the slippery slope in terms of continuing encroachments on personal liberty. I do think during the emergency, appropriate, reasonable steps are fine,” Barr said on Wednesday night when asked about the proposal during an appearance on Fox News’s “Ingraham Angle.”

Pressed to be more specific, he added, “I’d be a little concerned about that, the tracking of people and so forth, generally, especially going forward over a long period of time.”

Gates is funding multiple efforts to produce a vaccine against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. During a question-and-answer session on Reddit, an online forum, he floated the idea of a certificate when asked what changes society will have to make in light of the pandemic.

“The question of which businesses should keep going is tricky. Certainly food supply and the health system. We still need water, electricity and the internet. Supply chains for critical things need to be maintained. Countries are still figuring out what to keep running,” he said.

Bill Gates at an event in in New York City on Nov. 6, 2019. Mike Cohen/Getty Images for The New York Times

“Eventually we will have some digital certificates to show who has recovered or been tested recently or when we have a vaccine who has received it,” he added.

A number of commenters reacted strongly to the proposal, saying it validated conspiracy theorists about world leaders wanting mandatory marks for vaccines.

Asked about backlash to the proposal, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation told Reuters: “The reference to ‘digital certificates’ relates to efforts to create an open source digital platform with the goal of expanding access to safe, home-based testing.”

Barr said there are situations where liberties can be restricted, such as during war and pandemics, but added the Department of Justice was going to look at whether “the draconian measures that are being adopted are fully justified and there are not alternative ways of protecting people.

When, on April 30, restrictions the U.S. government put forth expire, officials should let people adapt, Barr added.

“I think we have to allow people to adapt more than we have, and not just tell people to go home and hide under the bed, but allow them to use other ways, social distancing and other means, to protect themselves,” he said.