Who Will Be Able to Use COVID Passports and Where They Will Be Allowed With Them
It is expected that the mass vaccination will become a panacea that will simplify people’s lives, will allow to play live at 20Bet casino Portugal, make it easier, including international travel, but disputes have arisen between the authorities, business and doctors over the introduction of certificates for vaccination against coronavirus. Some see this as the only possible solution to the problem of the post-like world, while others see it as discrimination against unvaccinated travelers.
Meanwhile, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the European Commission (EC) plans to submit a draft law on an electronic vaccination passport in March. As the official representative of the European Commission Christian Wiegand noted, the system of covid passports in Europe can be created by the summer of 2021.
What Is a Vaccination Passport?
Vaccination passports are certificates issued to people vaccinated against COVID–19. As a rule, they indicate personal data, the date of vaccination (if there are two, then both dates), the name of the vaccine. Also, the certificate contains information about the transferred coronavirus and the results of the PCR test, if it was submitted. A Covid passport can be in paper or digital format and contain a barcode and other elements to help verify authenticity. Passports will be temporary until the end of the pandemic.
In theory, the owner of a “passport” will be able to show it at the border, for example, from a smartphone screen, in order to freely enter the country.
Who Are ‘for’ the Vaccine Passports?
Most European countries, which rely heavily on tourism for their income, have pushed for the introduction of vaccination passports in order to launch international tourism as soon as possible.
Thus, Greece is insisting on the introduction of certificates for vaccinated citizens to allow them to travel. Tourism accounts for 20% of the country’s GDP, providing one in five citizens with work. According to the consulting company Ernst & Young, the fall in tourism revenues in 2020 was 80%.
In turn, the Minister of Tourism of Greece Haris Theocharis said on the air of the Greek TV channel Skai that the country will not prohibit entry to travelers who have not been vaccinated.
Regardless of the common position of the European Union, the Greek authorities are negotiating with non–EU countries on the creation of “tourist corridors“. The result of such negotiations was the conclusion of a bilateral agreement with Israel on the free movement of vaccinated citizens between countries.
Greece wants to open the borders on May 14. Following Theocharis, Spain’s Tourism Minister Maria Reyes Maroto said the country’s authorities were considering resuming international travel for COVID–19–vaccinated tourists on May 19. Moreover, the country’s authorities are working to quickly create such a passport, and it will be digital.
Also, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Austria spoke for the introduction of vaccination passports.
Opponents of COVID Passports
In turn, France opposes the introduction of a single vaccination passport. According to the country’s Minister for European Affairs, Clement Bona, the introduction of passports is “shocking” in the face of mass vaccination, which is just beginning. At the same time, France significantly lags behind other EU countries in terms of its pace.
The idea of introducing vaccination passports was also coolly received in Ireland and Germany. They are sure that such a measure is premature and fear the privileged position of vaccinated citizens when choosing places of rest. The unvaccinated, on the other hand, will be discriminated against.
