London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Nightclubs and large events advised to ask for Covid passes

Nightclubs and large events advised to ask for Covid passes

Nightclubs and other event organisers have been advised to ask for proof that revellers have had two jabs or tested negative for Covid.

Confirming that most Covid rules in England will be lifted on 19 July, Health Secretary Sajid Javid encouraged event organisers to require attendees to show so-called vaccine passports.

They are available through the NHS app and also show if a person has natural immunity after contracting the disease.

But the guidance is not mandatory.

Therefore organisers would not be legally required to follow it.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Boris Johnson said: "As a matter of social responsibility we're urging nightclubs and other venues with large crowds to make use of the NHS Covid pass, which shows proof of vaccination, a recent negative test or natural immunity as a means of entry."

In written guidance published after the press conference, the government said it "reserves the right" to force venues to require people to show their vaccine passport in order to be allowed in.

How can I get a vaccine passport?


People in England can do this by requesting an NHS Covid Pass via the NHS website or the NHS app.

Once logged in an NHS Covid Pass can be requested. The system generates a QR code, which lasts for 28 days.

An NHS Covid Pass can be obtained two weeks after a second dose of the Covid vaccine, as long as both doses were given in England.

A pass can be requested if you've had a negative PCR test or lateral flow test result within the past 48 hours, which you have reported on the NHS website. These passes last 48 hours after the test result.

Alternatively, a pass can be given following a positive PCR test result within the last six months, and have finished self-isolating. The pass lasts for 180 days after the test result.

People who have had both their jabs can also request an NHS Covid Pass letter by calling 119. This only shows vaccination status and has no expiry date.

However, the move has received push back from bar and club owners.

Alex Proud, owner of Proud nightclubs, said: "I find it deeply worrying and frustrating because it's discriminatory against younger people who are less likely to have been able to have the vaccinations."

"We emphasise that we've invested in sanitation and we feel these measures are adequate rather than overly authoritarian Covid passports," he told the BBC.

Michael Kill, who runs the Night Time Industries Association, said: "We have consistently opposed the use of Covid passports for access to industry events and venues, logistically it presents many issues, supported by the recent Covid status certificate report administered by government, steering us clear from the use of this method to mitigate risk."

But Mr Johnson warned that the "pandemic is not over" as he outlined what he described as a "cautious approach" to relaxing restrictions.

"If we're cautious and everybody gets vaccinated, then, yes, we can make steady progress."

Europe closes


The decision to relax restrictions comes as UK case numbers have increased to an average of 30,000 a day, driven by the highly-transmissible Delta variant of the disease.

The variant has caused a surge in cases across Europe where other nations have decided to reintroduce restrictions.

In the Netherlands, the Dutch government re-imposed curbs on nightclubs, music festivals and restaurants on Friday while Spain's Canary Islands have asked the government to bring back curfews.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
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
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×