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EU vaccine chief hopes for tourism boost as he unveils Covid-19 ‘health passport’

The head of the European Commission vaccines task force, Thierry Breton, unveiled the first European "health passport" on Sunday, claiming he hopes Europe will have a summer season "comparable to last year".

EU vaccine chief hopes for tourism boost as he unveils Covid-19 'health passport'
It's hoped the health passport will open up Europe for tourism in 2021. Photo: Gabriella Clare Marino/Unsplash

The new health certificate should be available “within two to three months” in both digital and paper formats, Breton told RTL radio and TV channel LCI.

For the first time, people got a glimpse of the health passport that will be made available throughout the EU, validated by the 27 member states.

“From the moment we can be sure that every European who wants to be vaccinated will have fair access to the vaccine, as will be the case in the next two to three months – it will be good to have a health certificate that demonstrates your condition,” said Breton.

Implementing the health travel document is planned for June, which would allow travel to resume across Europe, he added.

This is supported by an acceleration of Covid-19 vaccination rollouts, with the European Union expected to deliver 420 million doses by mid-July.

READ ALSO: EU vaccine passports must prevent ‘discrimination’: European Commission

Describing the EU’s vaccination campaign, he said, “We have to shift to the next gear. This will be the price for having a tourist season that I hope will be comparable to last year’s, which in the end wasn’t so bad in the context we’re in.”

Included in the digital version of the passport will be a QR code, the state you’re from and whether you have been vaccinated or not. The paper version will contain personal details such as name and date of birth and also the passport number that is certified with a QR code, detailing whether you’ve been vaccinated and if you’ve been a carrier of the disease.

READ ALSO: Could ‘health passports’ kickstart travel around Europe?

“For those who have had neither the vaccine nor the disease and for whom a PCR test will be requested, you can see the status of your PCR test,” he added.

The EU’s vaccination scheme has been dogged by delays and shortfalls, with controversy over AstraZeneca’s distribution of doses creating even more friction within the bloc.

After some countries paused the administration of AstraZeneca and later resumed the rollout, like Italy, other countries across Europe are currently not giving any of this firm’s doses to citizens, including Norway and Denmark.

But Breton insisted that any AstraZeneca vaccinations produced in the EU will stay there until the company delivers on its commitments.

READ ALSO: AstraZeneca vaccine ‘safe and effective’ against Covid-19, European Medicines Agency concludes

Member comments

  1. And yet the question remains…even if parents are vaccinated, what requirements will be placed for children for whom the vaccine is not available…

  2. Have been wishing for huge amounts of vaccine to be given to Italy!! This is a tragedy that is so solvable by an organized program. The EU BIG WIGS are to blame. The Italian people must be helped quickly!

  3. This is going to create a two-tiered society. If you are not vaccinated (through no fault of your own…the scarcity of vaccines, and focus on the elderly makes a huge portion of the population not able to get vaccinated) you will be burned with the time and expense of getting a PCR test, while those who are fortunate to be vaccinated not only get that benefit, but don’t have to spend more and time and money. Seems that the country needs a large percentage of the population vaccinated in order to make all this movement safe (same for the new April 26 opening) as we will otherwise end up in lockdown all over again. We all saw what summer travel did last year. This is all about grabbing the summer income and not about respecting the endless sacrifice we’ve all gone through with endless lockdowns. And, now, the punishment of those who can’t even get a vaccine. At the very least those PCR tests better be free.

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TRAVEL NEWS

How has Storm Louis been affecting travel in Sweden?

Trains in and out of Gothenburg have suffered major delays, several bridges have been closed and drivers have been advised to stay at home. Here is how Storm Louis has affected traffic in Sweden.

How has Storm Louis been affecting travel in Sweden?

Trains

Trains in and out of Gothenburg station more or less ground to a halt between 8.30am and 11.30am, but began moving again around noon. 

According to Sweden’s national rail company SJ there are still delays and disruptions to services between Gothenburg and Stockholm, Gothenburg and Västerås, Gothenburg and Malmö, and Gothenburg and Karlstad. 

Västtrafik, which operates regional trains in western Sweden has cancelled several trains with other services facing significant delays. 

On the company’s website, they said services between Ed and Trollhättan, Strömstad and Gothenburg, Uddevalla and Varberg and Gothenburg to Lidköping and Örebro would all be cancelled, with replacement buses provided. 

The company recommended checking its To Go app, or looking at its travel planner website

Värmlandstrafik, which operates local transport in Värmland has cancelled services between Sunne and Torsby due to a tree on the line, with replacement buses provided. 

Ferries 

Ferries to islands such as Styrsö and Vrångö in the archipelago south of Gothenburg have been cancelled.  The Gullmarsleden ferry over to Lysekil was also cancelled, as was the chain ferry across to the Bolmsö in the middle of lake Bolmen.

Bridges 

The Tjörn Bridge to the island of Tjörn was closed on Friday morning and remained closed at 1.30pm. The Uddevalla Bridge across Sunninge sound was also closed, blocking the E6 motorway, but reopened around noon. 

Roads 

Fallen trees have blocked roads such as the E18 between Knöstad och Valnäs, road 702 between Trossnäs and Bofasterud, road 62 between Tjörnheden and Olsäter, road 664 between Norsbron and Björkåsmotet and road 240 at Väse Kyrka.

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