Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

COVID-19

‘Green pass’: European Commission to propose EU-wide vaccine passports for summer

Europeans may be allowed to travel more freely this summer with a new digital vaccination passport in a plan set to be laid out by the European Commission.

Published: 1 March 2021 16:44 CET
'Green pass': European Commission to propose EU-wide vaccine passports for summer
An Israeli woman shows her "green pass" (proof of being fully vaccinated against the coronavirus) before entering the Green Pass concert for vaccinated seniors. Photo: Jack Guez/AFP

Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced the plan for a “digital green pass” in a speech to German lawmakers on Monday and then added some details on Twitter.

The “digital green pass”  would provide proof that a person has received the vaccination as well as test results for anyone who has not yet been vaccinated. It would also include information on recovery for anyone who has previously contracted Covid-19.

“The aim is to gradually enable them to move safely in the European Union or abroad – for work or tourism,” von der Leyen tweeted.

 

The Commission will present the legislative proposal this month. Von der Leyen said, it will “respect data protection, security and privacy.”

The news could provide a significant boost to Europe’s tourism industries ahead of the summer. 

Leaders of the EU27 met last week to discuss a joined-up approach but no united plan was announced.

Spain and other southern countries have repeatedly requested that the Commission introduce a certificate. Greece had already announced it would create its own vaccine passport system, agreeing a digital “Green Pass” with Israel and entering talks with the UK.

An independently reviewed, real-world study of the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine in Israel found it had cut transmission in symptomatic cases by 94%, according to data published in the well-regarded New England Journal of Medicine.

However, last week, Angela Merkel told German newspaper Allgemeine Zeitung: “First, it must actually be clearly resolved that vaccinated people are no longer infectious.”

“As long as the number of those who have been vaccinated is still so much smaller than the number who are waiting for vaccination, the state should not treat the two groups differently.”

President Macron also raised concerns about the fairness of vaccine passports on young people at the EU27 virtual meeting. 

In the UK, Downing Street confirmed that UK officials will speak to their EU counterparts after Brussels unveiled plans for the passport, Politics Home reported.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said: “You can expect [the Department for Transport] will work [with], and do speak to countries across the world in terms of how they may look to introduce passports.”

 

Member comments

  1. Does anyone know when Americans will be able to visit, we have a 2nd home, if they have sometype of vaccine passport? Thanks!

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

COVID-19

What you need to know about the new Covid-19 wave in Switzerland

When the pandemic was winding down two years ago, health authorities warned that while the worst was over, Covid will keep re-emerging, in one form or another, in the future.

Published: 19 July 2024 11:45 CEST
What you need to know about the new Covid-19 wave in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the number of laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases has increased by around 50 percent over the last four weeks, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).  

Add to it the undeclared cases, and that figure is even higher.

“The number of positive tests is climbing, and further increases cannot be ruled out,” FOPH said.

Overall, however, the number of infections remains low.

Why is Covid still around in Switzerland?

As epidemiologists predicted, coronavirus will keep mutating, with different strains emerging over time.

Covid’s new variants, KP.2 and KP.3, are currently circulating throughout the country, causing the number of cases to go up.

That’s because the latest variants spread fast and are particularly resistant to antibodies — which means that whatever immunity you may have built up through previous infections or vaccinations are not sufficient to stop new infections.

What are the symptoms?

The most common ones are similar to those of seasonal flu — that is, cough, fever, headache, muscle pain, cold, sore throat, as well as tiredness.

But just as with the previous bouts, some people will experience milder symptoms, while others more severe ones.

For the time being, these variants have not caused serious developments in most people, and only a small number have required hospitalisation.

What should you do if symptoms appear?

If you do become infected, FOPH recommends avoiding contact with other people, especially those who are particularly at risk of complications.

Measures imposed by the government during earlier outbreaks, such as isolation and quarantine, are not necessary at this point — though health authorities say that, similarly to to previous bouts, you should wear a mask and keep your distance.

And if you are in a high-risk group, contact your doctor immediately.

Should you get (re)vaccinated?

Ask your doctor about that.

Compulsory basic insurance will pay for the vaccine for high-risk people, and possibly their carertakers, based on doctor’s recommendations.

Others must pay for the shot out of their pockets. A dose costs around 100 francs.

Should you cancel your vacation if you test positive?

It is up to you and your own sense of responsibility.

“It would be best to cancel the flight immediately,” said Christiane Meier, vice-president of the Association of Cantonal Doctors. If you decide to go anyway, “wear a mask and keep your distance,” she added.
 
Should we expect a further increase in the number of cases after the holidays?

According to FOPH, it is not yet possible to know for sure, though this possibility can’t be excluded.

Swiss health authorities are constantly monitoring the evolution, but are not making any predictions for the moment.

What they do say is that though new variants spread fast and resist immunity, “there is no reason to panic at this stage.”

SHOW COMMENTS