Image by Karel Chladek
Wales has announced that they will be making vaccine passports mandatory for entry into nightclubs and large scale events. Under the new regulations, attendees to events and nightlife venues will need a valid NHS Covid-19 Pass to prove their full vaccination status, or have to have had a negative test result within the past 48 hours. The regulations will apply to all events with more than 10,000 people in attendance and for indoor, no-seating clubs with more than 500 people. Outdoor no-seating events exceeding 4000 people in attendance also apply.
The move comes despite warnings from nightlife professionals that the new rules may significantly damage the nightlife sector. Speaking on the decision, Night Time Industries Association Wales stated, “We are disappointed that the Welsh government has felt it must mandate Covid passports at this stage, albeit a more liberal implementation with the inclusion of testing. We still feel that these measures will have a negative impact on businesses, and will create considerable market distortion.” The regulations come into effect from October 11th.
Meanwhile, England recently announced that they had shelved plans to implement the same regulations after months of U-turns, while Scotland has revealed that the regulations will go into effect for them from October 1st.
