London Daily

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

Pub becomes 'first in Britain' to require proof of Covid-19 jab before entry

Pub becomes 'first in Britain' to require proof of Covid-19 jab before entry

The Gardeners Arms in Norwich will ask customers to show their vaccination card or proof on their NHS Covid app to protect staff and customers

A pub has become the first-known in Britain to ban customers unless they can prove they have had a vaccine for Covid-19.

The Gardeners Arms in Norwich is bringing in the rule as other pubs across the country are considering a similar move to tackle the Delta variant “running riot”, according to The Sun.

Covid cases hit 54,674 today - the highest daily total since January - as the UK government is dropping requirements for social distancing and wearing masks from Monday.

Landlord Philip Cutter, 50, says he decided to take action after having to close for ten days during the Euro 2020 football tournament when two members of staff tested positive for Covid.

When the pub reopens on Saturday customers must prove they have had at least one Covid jab at least two weeks earlier – the time it takes to develop antibodies to the virus.

Customers can gain entry using their vaccination card, which they receive after getting the jab, or the NHS app, which records their having had the jab.

The pub had to close during Euro 2020 after staff tested positive for Covid


Mr Cutter said: “I’ve not heard of any other pubs doing this but it seems a common sense thing to do to protect my staff, customers and business.

“I know nightclubs have been asked to consider looking into some sort of vaccination passport. We’re a busy, city centre venue so not very different.

“If this Delta variant was not running riot, we’d be looking at things differently but there’s a lot of virus out there.”

Mr Cutter said he expects most people will be happy with his pub’s new policy since around 80% of adults have been vaccinated.

He said older customers – who are more vulnerable to Covid - are especially supportive of the new policy.

Mr Cutter says people support the policy though some extremists have made threats


He added:“However, one or two people are virulently opposed. It seems we’ve been put on some anti-vax forum and we’ve been inundated with vile messages from all over the country.

“We’ve had personal abuse, people threatening to put our windows through, people hoping we go out of business.”

He said the pub is not trying to discriminate against people, but does want to keep staff and customers safe.

Customer Kaylee Smith, who said she had lost four family members to Covid, said: “This is a good move. If you don’t like their policy, simple, don’t go there!”

Martin Caffrey, of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations, welcomed the move.

He said: “I think publicans are going to have to decide whether they do the same thing.

“It’ll be a comfort for customers to know they’re in as secure an environment as possible.”

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
×