People in Wales will have to show an NHS Covid pass to enter nightclubs and attend many events including big football and rugby matches from next month, the first minister has announced. Mark Drakeford also said people should work from home wherever possible and vowed that firmer action would be taken against people who do not wear face coverings when legally required to do so, for example in shops or on public transport. Drakeford said he was determined to take stronger and earlier action than the UK government is doing in England, claiming measures that were part of Boris Johnson’s “plan B” – such as the Covid pass and working from home – were in his “plan A”. Drakeford faced criticism from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in Wales, who argued that Covid passes infringe people’s liberties, and from representatives of the night-time economy, who said clubs were being picked on. But he said the measures were needed to keep Wales safe in the face of rising Covid levels, adding that the government could consider making it a specific criminal offence to falsify a Covid pass. During a press conference in Cardiff, Drakeford rejected the idea that the new scheme was a vaccination passport in all but name, pointing out that it was possible to get a pass by taking a lateral flow test. He said: “They are clearly not vaccine passports, you can get a Covid pass without being vaccinated. It avoids those difficult ethical issues of people who cannot be vaccinated.” The first minister cited warnings from UK government advisers that up to 7,000 people a day could be hospitalised with Covid in England next month, and he also referred to a claim by Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, at this week’s Downing Street press conference that “you have to go earlier than you think you want to, you have to go harder than you think you want to” on Covid measures. Drakeford said: “To avoid having to take more intrusive measures to deal with coronavirus, we want to do everything we can do now to keep Wales open and keep Wales safe.” On working from home, Drakeford said: “If you don’t need to be in the office, please work from home whenever you can. In England, working from home is part of their plan B; in Wales it is part of our plan A.” He called for supermarkets and public transport providers to do more to make sure people wear masks when they are legally required to do so, and he said the government would work with enforcement officers to make sure people comply. Wales is at alert level 0 and will remain so for the next three weeks, but the Labour-led government said Covid case numbers were very high. About 490 people per 100,000 are infected. Drakeford said: “The very strong advice we have from our scientific advisers is to take early action to prevent infections increasing further. The last thing we want is further lockdowns and for businesses to have to close their doors once again. The requirement to show a pass will come into force from 11 October. All over-18s will need to have a pass to enter: Nightclubs. Indoor, non-seated events for more than 500 people, such as concerts or conventions. Outdoor non-seated events for more than 4,000 people. Any setting or event with more than 10,000 people in attendance such as football and rugby matches. People who are fully vaccinated in Wales can already download the NHS Covid pass to share their vaccine status and show if they have had a negative lateral flow test result in the last 48 hours. The Welsh Liberal Democrats described Drakeford’s decision to introduce Covid passes in Wales as disappointing, claiming it was an example of government overreach that could set a worrying precedent. The party’s leader, Jane Dodds, said: “They are medical ID cards in all but name and Welsh Liberal Democrats will lead the fight against their introduction. The introduction of the cards would mean that for the first time you will be asked to provide your private medical data to a stranger to enjoy certain freedoms in our society.” The Welsh Conservative Senedd leader, Andrew RT Davies, said: “We have been against the introduction of such documentation from the outset, due to the wide-ranging ethical, equality, privacy, legal, and operational ramifications. The inclusion of the lateral flow test element eases one area of concern but a whole host remain, particularly regarding the overall effectiveness of this measure and the impact it will have on businesses, jobs and Wales’ economic recovery.”