As of today, people in the EU travel with a COVID certificate, but there are special features – World

As of today, the system for free crossing of borders between the member states with the so-called digital code certificate (EUDCC), but there are limitations and features that will not make everything go smoothly in the beginning. It will contain data – vaccinated, sick or with a negative PCR test – about its owner and will remain in force until the World Health Organization declares an end to the pandemic.

But at the moment, no one can predict when this will happen due to low levels of vaccination in economically developed countries, the lack of vaccines in developing countries, questions about how long immunity will be built and the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus.

Bulgaria is among the first 7 countries for which it was announced on June 1 that they have tested and are already issuing it – on the site of the National Health Information System of the Ministry of Health.

“Diary” present a week ago, the 12 most important specifics of this unique document, including the ambiguity about tens of thousands of Bulgarians and many Europeans, awaiting an answer. (You can read how to enter Bulgaria from today here)

Today, we remind you that a 6-week transition period is beginning (until 12 August) – the time for the EU countries and the European Economic Area (EEA), which are not yet ready to issue it, to get involved. As of June 30, these are Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, Malta, Hungary, Romania and Switzerland. They are technically ready, but are not effectively connected to the single certificate verification portal in another country.

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Another key point is which vaccines are recognized. States have agreed to issue a certificate for all vaccines, with anyone who has completed the procedure at least 14 days ago being considered protected. But each country is free to recognize not only vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), but also others such as Russian or Chinese. Each party is free to decide whether to accept certificates with only the first of the two doses.

Meanwhile, a new problem has arisen – the list of four vaccines approved in the EU includes Astra Zeneca’s Vaxzevria (plus those of Moderna, Pfizer / BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson), but not Covishield, a certified version of it. from the Indian Serum Institute, the largest manufacturer of vaccines in the world.

The EMA told Reuters that Vaxzevria was the only one with which AstraZeneca applied to them for evaluation and approval. Covishield is not authorized for sale and use in the EU, although it can use similar technology, added the drug agency. Approval requires a new application or at least a request for approval of new manufacturing plants to be inspected by the EMA.

© Reuters

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Covishield accounts for about 88% of all 322 million doses currently administered in India, and if an EU country wants to recognize the World Health Organization’s authorization, it will be able to admit foreigners with such a vaccine.

The African Union, which brings together 54 countries, some of which already include Covishield, called on Europe on Monday to resolve the issue quickly because it discriminates against people from Africa.

Those who have not been vaccinated and rely on negative PCR and antigen tests should be aware that the situation in the EU is constantly changing. France, for example, announced yesterday that from July 7 (next Wednesday) it will stop paying for these tests for arriving tourists at the border and foreigners will bear the cost (40 euros for PCR or 29 euros for antigen). The explanation is that this is a reciprocal measure, because in many countries the French have to pay for entrance tests. The government has also considered making French citizens pay, but only after the summer holiday season. Also yesterday, the country’s leading scientific consultant, Prof. Jean-François Delfressi, said that a fourth wave of the pandemic was probably imminent due to the so-called delta variant of the coronavirus.

© Reuters

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• As for citizens of non-EU countries allowed to arrive freely for tourism or other travel, any European government can, if necessary, require tests and quarantine for them. Yesterday, 11 more were added to the current 14 countries from the recommended list. After the change, the list includes: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, Jordan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as the current Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia Australia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States plus the Chinese administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao.

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Organizations representing Europe’s largest airlines and airports have warned that chaos will ensue and passengers will have to wait in line for hours if countries do not better coordinate the implementation of the European COVID certificate, Reuters reported. Airports, Airlines for Europe and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned in a letter to national leaders that the risk of chaos was real and that there was great fragmentation and many differences in the approach to certification in different countries.

© European Union

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The text says that the only way to avoid huge queues and delays during the peak summer season is to process vaccination certificates and travel forms remotely before the passenger arrives at the airport. Checks should be made only in the country from which the passenger departs, not in the one in which he arrives, and national governments must provide equipment for reading QR codes, the letter added.

Lufthansa has taken the initiative and announced that it will allow its passengers to use the digital certificate when checking in for flights by showing it on their phone or printed out when issuing the boarding pass. For certain destinations, the certificate will soon be able to be used for checking through the airline’s mobile phone application.

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