Covid vaccine passports 'will be compulsory for pubs and nightclubs in autumn'

The government reportedly plans to make it compulsory for people to prove they have been double jabbed or have tested negative for coronavirus before being allowed into entertainment venues

People going to pubs, restaurants and nightclubs will have to show Covid-19 certificates later this year, it is claimed.

Under plans being drawn up by the government, people will have to prove they've been vaccinated or tested negative the previous day, according to The Times.

The controversial 'vaccine passports' could reportedly be put in place by the Autumn, with entertainment venues forced to comply.

Those who do not provide the necessary proof will not be allowed in, sources told the newspaper.

A Downing Street source said: “In autumn vaccine passports could become an important tool that will allow us to keep things open.

The government reportedly opted not to bring in the rules from July 19 because it would discriminate against younger people, who will not have had two doses of a Covid vaccine by then.

However, it is thought the measure could be brought in place in September in a bid to prevent restrictions being brought back in.

It comes amid fears that young people are choosing not get jabbed, with the number of inoculations dropping.

The number of people getting a first jab has dropped below 100,000 in recent days, and unvaccinated young people are thought to be behind the surge in new cases.

On Friday the number fell to 96,430 as take-up dropped to levels last seen in April.

The Office for National Statistics estimates that one in 160 people in England had the virus in the week to July 3, with cases rising since then.

Cases are 10 times higher among people aged 16 to 24 than in the over 70s.

In the past seven days, more than 206,000 people have tested positive for the virus across the UK, a 30 per cent rise in just a week.

From July 19 nightclubs will be allowed to reopen and social distancing rules will be dropped.