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EU proposals for a vaccine passport could boost tourism across the bloc as early as June, raising hopes that lockdown-weary Britons will be able to enjoy a summer vacation on the continent.
The European Commission is suggesting a “digital green pass” that would provide proof that a person has been vaccinated against coronavirusas well as test results for those that have not yet been inoculated.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the pass “should make life easier for Europeans.”
She said: “The aim is to gradually allow them to move safely in the European Union or abroad, for work or tourism.”
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The proposed scheme raises the possibility that unvaccinated adults and children may still travel abroad if they have had a recent negative test. COVID-19 proof.
Initially, the plan would be for Europeans to travel more freely during the summer, but the executive also plans to cooperate with international organizations to ensure that its system works outside the EU.
And a leading EU source told The Sun that the British are “always welcome” in Europe “as long as they meet all the conditions and standards.”
England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, said on Monday there was still “great uncertainty” surrounding holidays on the continent, in part because the EU’s vaccination programs lagged behind those in the UK. .
Compared to the UK, the launch of the coronavirus vaccine block has been slow.
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‘Great uncertainty’ around holidays abroad
It occurs when a UK task force planning the resumption of holidays abroad has met for the first time.
Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps chaired the government’s global travel task force meeting, with travel companies, transportation operators and industry bodies joining the virtual session.
Boris Johnson announced last month that leisure travel abroad for people in England could be allowed from May 17.
But this depended on several factors, such as vaccine launches and the prevalence of COVID variants.
The draft EU legislation for the “green digital pass” is expected to be published on March 17, and the program itself may start in June.
The UK will discuss with the EU the bloc’s proposals to create a vaccine passport in hopes of reviving international travel for the summer holidays.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday Britain was working with the EU and countries around the world on the issue.
Vaccine certificates could be used to prove travelers have received a COVID-19 injection
He said: “As I understand it, the EU proposal is that the certification includes whether you have received the vaccine or have recently undergone a test for those who cannot yet get vaccinated, which is obviously particularly important.
“So it is something that we are working on with them and others, and it is important that we get the details of this right for international travel.”
The UK government has said that once the impact of vaccines is known, it could introduce a system that allows people who have received a puncture to travel more freely internationally.
Hancock said Tuesday that people will need to have the ability to certify that they have received a coronavirus vaccine.
“It is clear” that individuals will need a way to show that they have received a needle stick, but those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will be “absolutely” taken into consideration, “he told deputies.
The government is facing mounting pressure from Conservative MPs to avoid introducing COVID passports for people to travel domestically across the UK.
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Meanwhile, a new poll suggests that more than three in five people would support flights that only accept vaccinated passengers.
61% of 2,105 UK adults, surveyed by travel expert group Thrive, said they would support such a move.
The head of Australian airline Qantas has said that future passengers will need to prove they have taken a hit from coronavirus before they can board their international flights.
