London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Covid vaccine passport is here after change to NHS app

Covid vaccine passport is here after change to NHS app

Wording on app shows change in policy with businesses now able to check on double jabs

Vaccine passports have effectively been introduced in England after a change to the NHS app.

The wording on the app has been amended to now include a “domestic” section.

It states: “You may need to show your NHS Covid Pass at places that have chosen to use the service”.

Previously, users were given the choice of using the app to show proof of their vaccination status for foreign travel or for the Government’s events research programme, such as getting into Wembley for the Euro 2020 matches, but the latter has been deleted after they ended.


Businesses can now use the “vaccine passports” on a voluntary basis to ensure people entering their premises have been double-jabbed. But the Government is set to make them mandatory for some settings including nightclubs and large public events in the autumn, with the threat of a fourth Covid wave looming.

As they seek to return the country closer to normality, ministers are stepping up their pleas for more people, particularly young adults, to get the Covid jab.
Health Secretary Sajid

Javid told the Standard: “As we cautiously reopen society, vaccines will allow you to get back to the things you love and have missed during the pandemic — going on holiday without the need to self-isolate on your return, or going to venues like nightclubs to spend time with friends the way you used to.”

Speaking after a visit on Wednesday to a pop-up vaccination centre in Little Venice, west London, he added: “Vaccines are saving lives and reduce the severity of symptoms if you become infected. If you are eligible, please come forward and get your jab as soon as possible.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the Government would announce in September, or possibly earlier, which venues would require vaccine passports to gain entry.

Netflix, Google and Facebook are rolling out a policy which will require all staff to be vaccinated once its workplaces are fully reopened.

Pressed on whether it should be a rule that people must be double-jabbed before going back to the office, Mr Raab said: “I can understand why employers think that that would be a smart policy or approach to encourage.

“But whether or not there should be hard and fast legal rules I think we need to look at carefully.” Ministers have previously denied vaccine passports would be introduced for domestic use.

But they are now considering making them mandatory for a range of venues, including possibly for students to attend university lectures in-person and live in halls of residence.

Mr Raab said students would be given “advanced warning” if this is going to happen.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The only steps that we will take in this regard are ones that will maximise the freedom that the vast majority of the country are hankering and want to enjoy.” In France, a Covid passport with proof of vaccination or of a recent negative test will be required for restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas, theatres and other public places.

Some shopping centres may also be included under plans put forward by French president Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Raab said France had seen a “big surge” in people getting double-jabbed following the announcements.

He added: “It’s a little bit of coaxing and cajoling.”

However, the Government would risk a major revolt by Tory MPs, dozens of who are already opposed to its current vaccine passport plans, if it dramatically expanded their use in England.

It came as NHS figures showed more than 600,000 alerts were sent to users of the separate NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales in the week to July 21 telling them they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus.

Meanwhile, a survey by the ONS suggests one in four young adults who test positive for Covid no longer follow the rules for self-isolating.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×