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EU agrees to recognise Switzerland’s vaccination certificate

The European Union and Switzerland will recognise each other's Covid vaccination certificates from Friday, July 9th, the European Commission announced on Thursday.

EU agrees to recognise Switzerland's vaccination certificate
Photo: OLIVIER MORIN / AFP

This month, 27 EU member states along with Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein adopted common standards to read digital coronavirus certificates.

Proof of vaccination or acquired immunity via a recognised certificate can help travellers avoid restrictions like quarantine on arrival.

But member states remain in charge of their own border rules, and reserve the right to impose emergency controls if the epidemic situation deteriorates.

“I warmly welcome that the Swiss authorities have decided to implement a system based on the EU Digital COVID Certificate,” EU justice commissioner Didier Reynders said.

“As a result, the certificate will not only facilitate free movement within the EU, but also between the EU and Switzerland. “This will allow EU citizens and Swiss nationals to travel safely and more freely this summer.”

The EU document — essentially a QR code available on smartphones or paper — shows whether the bearer is vaccinated, recovered from an infection or recently tested negative.

The EU is in talks with several countries from outside the EU and the EAA economic area, including Britain and Russia, about recognising each other’s certificates.

What is the Covid immunity pass?

This passport, in the form of a QR code on a smartphone or printed out on a piece of paper, must be presented by each traveler at the border.

It includes identification data and information relating to vaccination (type of vaccine, number of doses received), screening (date of test, negative or positive result), and even serological analysis, namely if the traveler had Covid and has antibodies.

READ MORE: How to get Switzerland’s Covid-19 health pass

Switzerland’s Covid-19 immunity certificate has been available since June 7th – and now has a linked app which makes the digitalisation process easier. 

Both apps are available for free. Here is the link for the Apple App store here, and that for Android.  

Switzerland’s Covid-19 certificate app up close. Image: FOPH

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TRAVEL NEWS

How Geneva plans to expand public transport services

Geneva's bus and tram network covers not only the Swiss city and canton, but some parts of the neighbouring French communities as well.

How Geneva plans to expand public transport services

The Geneva parliament approved on Friday the action plan launched by the local government, which calls for a 29-percent increase in public transport services (TPG) throughout the Swiss canton — and beyond.

Specifically, it provides for more trams, including cross-border ones, as well as further electrification of buses.

The capacity of the Léman Express train will also be strengthened.

Expansion of this particular link is important to the region, as it connects the Geneva area with neighbouring France.

The route comprises 45 stations and 230 kilometres of track — extending beyond the Geneva canton borders into Vaud as well as France. 

This news comes just days after Geneva officials announced they will use the canton’s 1.4-million-franc budget surplus to offer free transport for people up to 24 years of age, in addition to lowering taxes.

READ ALSO: Geneva to cut taxes and make public transport free for young people 

All-party agreement

The public network expansion project met with some opposition during the debate period.

While some MPs, like those from the centre-right Liberal-Radical (PLR) party believed that this ambitious plan was necessary to accommodate growing population growth, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) was against the project because it would impact the automobile industry.

In the end, however, resolution approving this action plan was unanimously accepted.

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