NHS Covid Pass now required for entry into nightclubs and large venues

The NHS Covid Pass, available via the NHS App, must now be shown by all adults in England to gain entry into nightclubs and other certain venues.

The new Covid Pass rules were approved by parliament in a vote on Tuesday (December 14), despite 99 Conservative MPs voting against the government’s plans.

The new Covid pass rules that come into effect today are:

• Over-18s in England must prove they are double vaccinated against Covid-19, had a negative PCR or lateral flow test result within the last 48 hours, or have an exemption, to enter large events and venues
• This can be proved via the NHS Covid Pass or with a text message or email from NHS Test and Trace
• The rules apply to nightclubs, indoor unseated venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4000 people, and any venue with more than 10,000 people

The NHS Covid Pass was made available on the NHS App in May 2021 and allows people to prove their vaccination status if needed for international travel or if it was a requirement of attending large domestic events.

It was announced last month that booster jabs would automatically show up in the NHS Covid travel pass, enabling international travellers to prove their vaccination status.

As the new Omicron variant spreads at an alarming rate, millions have been desperate to book their third Covid jab and protect their festive plans.

More than half a million people in England booked their booster jab on December 13, however, the sheer number of people attempting to book led to the NHS website experiencing difficulties.

In a tweet, NHS Digital advised those having trouble to try again at another time.

The vaccine booking service is currently facing extremely high demand so is operating a queueing system.  For users aged 18-29, please be aware that booking opens on Wednesday 15 Dec.  For all others experiencing waits, we would advise trying again later today or tomorrow.

— NHS England Transformation (@NHSDigital) December 13, 2021

Online booking for the over-30s opened on Monday, while 18 to 29-year-olds are now able to book their booster jabs from today (December 15).

Disclaimer: Digital Health News is a news service run by a team of journalists. We are not part of the NHS, nor are we affiliated with the NHS or any other healthcare provider in the UK.

More information about the NHS digital Covid pass can be found here.