A leading club night organizer has dropped a requirement for customers to show an NHS Covid pass on the door, says an article published in BBC.
Ultimate Power initially told people they needed an NHS Covid pass to prove their vaccination, test for immunity status at venues.
NHS Covid-19 app
The passes are on England’s NHS app, which is separate from the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales. But the promoter amended its website to say people can prove their Covid status in several ways, including by email.
Covid status proof
A spokesman for Ultimate Power said that it would not require the use of the app exclusively and would accept other forms of Covid status proof. He added that the app was “simply the easiest form of presenting this status” and that the only intention had been to ensure the safety of their customers.
Scrap Covid passes
The Liberal Democrats have called for ministers to scrap Covid passes or at least allow MPs to debate them in Parliament.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael accused ministers of committing to Covid passports “by stealth”.
“We now have a new ID card snuck onto our phones without even as much as a whisper from the government,” he said.
Deleted webpage
After the BBC reported the entry requirement on Thursday night, Ultimate Power – a third-party which organizes club nights at venues including the O2 Ritz in Manchester and London’s Electric Ballroom – deleted a webpage and social media posts.
It had said that, for its “initial London and Manchester events, we are requesting Covid passes at point of entry to our clubs”.
O2 Ritz venue
A spokeswoman for the O2 Ritz said the venue requires customers to show their Covid status on entry – but they could do this by obtaining a negative lateral flow result by text message, email, or letter.
Customers can also voluntarily use the NHS Covid Pass to prove a negative test, alongside full vaccination or immunity, the venue’s website said.
Similar entry requirements will apply to guests at the Electric Ballroom.
Requirement for club entry
It comes after some nightclub owners previously told the BBC Covid passes were “unworkable” and that they would not be requiring them.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced earlier this month that people attending nightclubs and other large venues where crowds gather would be required to be fully vaccinated from the end of September.
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Source: BBC
