Some venues have started telling customers they need a vaccine passport if they want to get in.
Nightclubs and other indoor spaces were allowed to reopen on July 19 without the need for people to present any certification as a condition of entry.
But days later, Boris Johnson warned clubbers and businesses alike that ministers were minded to make the passes mandatory by the end of September.
Now the O2 chain of venues has moved early to introduce the policy at some of its events, starting this Friday.
Guests at the popular Ultimate Power nights at the O2 Ritz in Manchester and Electric Ballroom in Camden will both require guests to present a valid NHS Covid pass as a condition of entry.
A statement for the event said: ‘We understand we are asking our customers to follow extra steps at this point and we need you more than ever.
‘So if you have any questions or queries please reach out to us directly online and we will do everything we can to help you obtain passes.
‘If you are unable to obtain one, have Covid-19 symptoms or test positive, reach out online without attending the club in person.
‘We will of course provide ticket transfers to later dates or refunds depending on preference.’
Other nightclub and concert venues under the O2 brand, which is run by the Academy Music Group, will also start asking for vaccine passports at events, the BBC reports.
The decision comes as the government continues to strengthen its rhetoric on vaccine passports.
Earlier this week, Michael Gove said he thought ‘some form of certification’ was ‘the right way to go’ to try to curtail Covid spread at ‘certain venues and certain events’.
He added: ‘Ultimately, if you can be vaccinated and you refuse to, that is a selfish act.
‘You’re putting other people’s health and lives at risk, you should get vaccinated.’
In recent days it has also emerged the government is considering setting double-vaccination as a requirement for students entering lecture halls or halls of residence.
The PM reportedly suggested the policy himself and is ‘raging’ at relatively low uptake of the vaccine among younger people.
Vaccine appointments have been open to all adults for several weeks but uptake among 18 to 24-year-olds is at 66.5%, well below older age groups.
At present, an NHS pass can be obtained via the app if you’ve had two doses of the vaccine or submitted a negative test result, but the prime minister has previously signalled entry requirements for clubs this autumn will require two jabs.
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