London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

UK mulls introduction of vaccine passports at large venues to avoid another Covid-19 lockdown, vaccines minister says

UK mulls introduction of vaccine passports at large venues to avoid another Covid-19 lockdown, vaccines minister says

Major public events could lead to a “real spike” in Covid-19 cases, so vaccine passports may be introduced at venues from late September to prevent that and avoid closing the economy, the UK's Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said.
Demanding proof of vaccination before concerts, festivals and other crowded events is “the sort of right thing to do,” Zahawi insisted in an interview on Sky's Trevor Phillips on Sunday program.

According to the minister, those who didn't get both shots of the jab must be barred from public gatherings “to make sure the whole economy remains open” in Britain, which has already seen almost seven million confirmed cases and over 133,000 coronavirus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Zahawi promised to do “everything in my power” to avoid another lockdown, assuring that putting restrictions on people's freedoms was “against the DNA of this government.”

“We see infection rates rise because of the close interaction of people, that's how the virus spreads, if people are in close spaces in large numbers we see spikes appearing,” he said, explaining the epidemiological dangers posed by major public events.

However, forcing the venues to operate in the “open-shut-open-shut” mode as it happened during the coronavirus curbs last year would become “the worst thing” that the government could do to them, Zahawi pointed out. The vaccine passports will allow them to “open safely and sustainably in the long term.”

The cabinet is still looking at whether to introduce vaccination passports for “venues that could end up causing a real spike in infections” by the end of September, the minister pointed out.

Several mass events that were held in the UK this summer have been blamed for causing spikes in coronavirus cases.

The coastal town of Newquay in Cornwall has seen the highest rate of infection in England after hosting the Boardmasters festival mid-August. According to Cornwall Council, some 4,700 new cases could've been linked to the event, which was attended by more than 50,000, thus putting the infection rate at over 2,000 per 100,000 people.

The worsening of the epidemiological situation was also registered in East Suffolk in late July as 40,000 flocked to the Latitude festival held in the area. In the week after the gathering, East Suffolk became the only English district to see a rise in the infection rate, which jumped from 58.5 to almost 241 per 100,000 people.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×