An Ayr nightspot will not open past midnight tonight to avoid Covid vaccine passport chaos.
Venue38 says it will not make use of their 2.30am licence after local bands finish up a gig tonight as punters scramble to get vaccine certificates.
Bosses at the venue, formerly Madisons nightclub, say they foresaw issues with vaccine passports and worry even if they stayed open that customers will be put off with many struggling to download QR codes on the official app.
It comes after thousands of users reported issues with the app to register their Covid vaccine passport.
The Scottish Government claimed the number of people trying to access the app at once could be creating a glitch after it launched from at 5.30pm yesterday.
Fears were looming that there would be chaos at venues across Scotland with Scots Tory leader Douglas Ross calling for a delay to the scheme to avoid a “weekend of chaos”.
Venue38 co-owner Tracy McGregor told Ayrshire Live: “We knew the app was coming out and there would be serious issues with it.
“We are members of the Music Venue Trust and we had a meeting with them on Monday.
“We are going to be closing tonight at midnight, we have a licence until 2.30am but with the issues the app is having we are not sure if anyone would even turn up if we opened past midnight.
“But we have scant details as much as the next venue has, there has been no consultation with businesses.
“It is just very much this is what you have to do now, we have a legal onus to check everyone’s Covid vaccine passport from midnight onwards."
Another venue which will be required to follow the new guidelines has called for ‘calm’ as they issued messages of reassurance to worried customers fearing their lack of certification will leave them shut out.
The Buf, who have venues in Ayr and Prestwick, say they will not be denying entry to punters without vaccine passports on launch day.
Instead they will focus on ‘educating’ customers about the scheme and will not be turning anyone away for not having proof that they are double jabbed.
Marketing manager Connor Kelly told Ayrshire Live: “We are aware there have been issues today with the app which customers will be using to register their Covid vaccine passport.
“We are not going to stop people coming in if they don’t have a vaccine passport tonight, we will be making them aware of how to download the QR code or how to print their passport off.
“We will be letting them know there is a grace period until October 18.
“There will be posters up just advising customers what to do, to make sure they are prepared.”
Ayrshire Live has contacted the Scottish Government for comment.
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