LAST DANCE SALOON
Revellers hit the dance-floor on Freedom Day after Boris Johnson warns Covid vaccine passport needed by September
REVELLERS have hit the dance floor on Freedom Day after Boris Johnson warned that a Covid vaccine passport will be needed to do the same in September.
Party-goers will have to be double jabbed to enter nightclubs from the end of September, the PM declared last night.
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In a major U-turn, Boris said vaccine passports will be needed to hit the dance floor in a bid to boost jab take up among 18 to 30 year olds.
But just hours after the PM's announcement, excited revellers returned to nightclubs tonight and partied up a storm across the UK.
Last night, Brits cheered and boogied as clubs flung open their doors at midnight for the first time in 16 months to celebrate Freedom Day.
And the scenes were echoed again overnight as revellers made the most of their newfound freedoms.
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Pals posed for photos outside clubs before dancing the night away despite it being a Monday.
There was also a full unmasked crowd in London's Royal Albert Hall last night as the historic venue celebrated its 150th birthday with a special anniversary show.
Last night, revellers had counted down the seconds until they could finally hit the dance-floor at midnight - grinning wildly in colourful outfits as they got inside.
July 19 marked Freedom Day - the day where social distancing, working from home and compulsory face masks were scrapped.
The reopening of the country's 12,000 nightclubs has been eagerly awaited by partygoers after dance-floors were shut more than a year and a half ago.
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SHOW US YOUR JAB
The PM made the announcement about vaccine passports being needed to enter nightclubs from September at a Downing St press conference amid fears not enough youngsters are getting the shot.
Ministers are desperate to get as many jabs into arms as possible before self-isolation rules are eased on August 16.
Boris said: "We're concerned, as they are in other countries, by the continuing risk posed by nightclubs.
"I should serve notice now that by the end of September, when all over 18s will have had their chance to be double jabbed, we're planning to make full vaccination the condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather.
"Proof of a negative test will no longer be enough."
The PM expressed concern that more than a third of 18-30 year olds - some three million people - still haven't taken up the jab yet.
Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance added: "Right the way across the world we've seen nightclubs and venues where you've got lots of people indoors crowded together are a focus for potential super spreading events.
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"There's no question that is an environment in which spreading is easier, you've got lots of people quite close together, you've got the environment in which spreading becomes easier.
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"I would expect that with opening of nightclubs we'll continue to see an increase in cases and we will see outbreaks related to specific nightclubs as well.
"And that's again why it's so important that everybody comes and gets a vaccine so we can reduce the chance of spread and we can reduce the chance of consequences of that spread."
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