London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 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
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×