London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Nov 24, 2025

Covid passport plan is chaotic, nightclubs say

Covid passport plan is chaotic, nightclubs say

Nightclubs say government plans to only let people with Covid passports into venues are "chaotic and surreal".

The government has said people's Covid status will be a condition of entry for clubs and some other indoor venues by the end of the month.

But industry figures say there are still lots of unanswered questions and little information about how clubs are supposed to enforce the rules.

The government says it will provide more details soon.

Michael Kill is from the Night Time Industries Association and says it's "almost surreal" that ministers expect venues to be ready for the changes when they still don't have answers to many questions.

It's not clear, for example, exactly which venues will be affected - the government says it's nightclubs and other places where large crowds gather.

At the moment, people can get an NHS Covid pass by having two jabs, proving they're immune to the virus, or showing a recent negative Covid test.

Festivals, gigs and other large events have been using QR code scanners to check people's NHS Covid passes before letting them into events.

But clubs say they need to be sent scanners and to train up door staff if that's how it's going to work for them.

Clubs reopened in England in July

Aaron Mellor, from Tokyo Industries, says he's had "no indication" from the government about what the process of checking Covid passes would involve.

Michael Kills adds: "Staffing, technology, everything's got to be put in place. So it's a real concern that they're leaving this 'til the last minute.

"It's just so little so late for something which is quite a considerable impact on our sector - way too little too late in terms of information and communication.

"There's so much work to do in terms of defining who and what needs to be done... the list's endless, so for me it's surreal that we're sat here in the second week of September, and we're still guessing."

The government argues that the NHS Covid pass will ensure the economy will stay open.

A spokesperson told Newsbeat: "As the prime minister said, we reserve the right to do what is necessary to protect the public and reduce transmission of the virus, including mandating the NHS Covid pass in certain settings.

"We are working closely with organisations that operate large, crowded settings, where people are likely to be in close proximity to others outside their household, to encourage the use of the NHS Covid pass."

But some MPs, including those in Boris Johnson's Conservative Party, have criticised the idea of making it mandatory to get a vaccine to go clubbing.

Radio 1 Newsbeat tried to get clarity from the government about whether or not it's considering altering the requirements for clubbing, so that only fully vaccinated people will get in - and not those who have tested negative, or proven their immunity.

The government didn't provide an answer.

Scotland's government is planning similar requirements to those in England, but there's growing opposition to the idea of Covid passports.

In Wales there are no plans for them and Northern Ireland is yet to decide what to do.


By the end of September, full vaccination will be required in order to enter nightclubs, says the PM

Hot Since 82, Jax Jones, Yousef and Arielle Free look at the future of clubbing



Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Unveils Critical-Minerals Strategy to Break China Supply-Chain Grip
Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” Extends U.K. No. 1 Run to Five Weeks
UK VPN Sign-Ups Surge by Over 1,400 % as Age-Verification Law Takes Effect
Former MEP Nathan Gill Jailed for Over Ten Years After Taking Pro-Russia Bribes
Majority of UK Entrepreneurs Regard Government as ‘Anti-Business’, Survey Shows
UK’s Starmer and US President Trump Align as Geneva Talks Probe Ukraine Peace Plan
UK Prime Minister Signals Former Prince Andrew Should Testify to US Epstein Inquiry
Royal Navy Deploys HMS Severn to Shadow Russian Corvette and Tanker Off UK Coast
China’s Wedding Boom: Nightclubs, Mountains and a Demographic Reset
Fugees Founding Member Pras Michel Sentenced to 14 Years in High-Profile US Foreign Influence Case
WhatsApp’s Unexpected Rise Reshapes American Messaging Habits
United States: Judge Dressed Up as Elvis During Hearings – and Was Forced to Resign
Johnson Blasts ‘Incoherent’ Covid Inquiry Findings Amid Report’s Harsh Critique of His Government
Lord Rothermere Secures £500 Million Deal to Acquire Telegraph Titles
Maduro Tightens Security Measures as U.S. Strike Threat Intensifies
U.S. Envoys Deliver Ultimatum to Ukraine: Sign Peace Deal by Thursday or Risk Losing American Support
Zelenskyy Signals Progress Toward Ending the War: ‘One of the Hardest Moments in History’ (end of his business model?)
U.S. Issues Alert Declaring Venezuelan Airspace a Hazard Due to Escalating Security Conditions
The U.S. State Department Announces That Mass Migration Constitutes an Existential Threat to Western Civilization and Undermines the Stability of Key American Allies
Students Challenge AI-Driven Teaching at University of Staffordshire
Pikeville Medical Center Partners with UK’s Golisano Children’s Network to Expand Pediatric Care
Germany, France and UK Confirm Full Support for Ukraine in US-Backed Security Plan
UK Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods Face Rising Backlash as Pandemic Schemes Unravel
UK Records Coldest Night of Autumn as Sub-Zero Conditions Sweep the Country
UK at Risk of Losing International Doctors as Workforce Exodus Grows, Regulator Warns
ASU Launches ASU London, Extending Its Innovation Brand to the UK Education Market
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Visit China in January as Diplomatic Reset Accelerates
Google Launches Voluntary Buyouts for UK Staff Amid AI-Driven Company Realignment
UK braces for freezing snap as snow and ice warnings escalate
Majority of UK Novelists Fear AI Could Displace Their Work, Cambridge Study Finds
UK's Carrier Strike Group Achieves Full Operational Capability During NATO Drill in Mediterranean
Trump and Mamdani to Meet at the White House: “The Communist Asked”
Nvidia Again Beats Forecasts, Shares Jump in After-Hours Trading
Wintry Conditions Persist Along UK Coasts After Up to Seven Centimetres of Snow
UK Inflation Eases to 3.6 % in October, Opening Door for Rate Cut
UK Accelerates Munitions Factory Build-Out to Reinforce Warfighting Readiness
UK Consumer Optimism Plunges Ahead of November Budget
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
Caribbean Reparations Commission Seeks ‘Mutually Beneficial’ Justice from UK
EU Insists UK Must Contribute Financially for Access to Electricity Market and Broader Ties
UK to Outlaw Live-Event Ticket Resales Above Face Value
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
German Entertainment Icons Alice and Ellen Kessler Die Together at Age 89
UK Unveils Sweeping Asylum Reforms with 20-Year Settlement Wait and Conditional Status
UK Orders Twitter Hacker to Repay £4.1 Million Following 2020 High-Profile Breach
Popeyes UK Eyes Century Mark as Fried-Chicken Chain Accelerates Roll-out
Two-thirds of UK nurses report working while unwell amid staffing crisis
Britain to Reform Human-Rights Laws in Sweeping Asylum Policy Overhaul
Nearly Half of Job Losses Under Labour Government Affect UK Youth
UK Chancellor Reeves Eyes High-Value Home Levy in Budget to Raise Tens of Billions
×