Covid vaccine passports could be needed to enter pubs under new government guidelines

Vaccine passports could be made a mandatory requirement for entry to pubs under new Covid rules being considered by the government, a spokesperson for Boris Johnson has suggested today. 

In a briefing, the spokesperson refused to rule out extending the use of vaccine passports to pubs after it was announced yesterday that they would be required for entry to nightclubs from September.

Asked whether drinkers would soon need to prove their vaccination status in order to enter pubs, the PM’s spokesperson said, as per ITV News: “The prime minister talked about the sort of areas we were considering, and nightclubs are where there is significant evidence we have at the moment.

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“But we’re going to use the coming weeks to look at the evidence, particularly both in the UK and globally before making a specific decision.”

In a Covid briefing yesterday afternoon, it was announced that Covid certificates – received upon getting both vaccination jabs – will be made compulsory for crowded venues such as nightclubs in a bid to boost vaccine uptake among young people.

The vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the new rule, described as a ‘sensible and pragmatic approach,’ will come into place at the end of September.

Ministers hope the move will help to encourage younger people to have the jab over the summer.

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Sacha Lord, the night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, voiced his concerns over the new rule, saying that the whole industry had been ‘taken by surprise.’

He wrote on Twitter: “Obvious questions over how these checks will be enforced, and the financial impact. How can nightclubs compete with pubs and bars down the road where these restrictions aren’t needed, or attract punters who can just as easily have a house party?!”

As it stands, people can still attend nightclubs, pubs and other crowded venues without proof of full vaccination, face masks or social distancing.