The Ministry of Health and the communities will meet again this afternoon with the differences in criteria regarding the use of the COVID certificate to access the interior of some establishments and the open debate over the request for more vaccines at a time when Spain is leading the campaign world.
Two communities, the Canary Islands and Galicia, already ask to have the complete vaccination schedule or a negative test to be able to enter hospitality establishments in municipalities or high-incidence areas, an alternative that some European countries have also adopted.
Flat rejection
But while in these two autonomies it is already a fact, others reject it outright: this measure has been discarded by the Catalan Government to avoid “harming” those who have not yet received the vaccine.
“At this time, it is not a reality,” said the Government spokesperson, Patricia Plaja, who has not ruled out that in the future the Generalitat will study its implementation because “the issues related to the pandemic are very changing and volatile.”
Neither timely nor correct
In the same way, the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig, does not see “opportune” or “correct” that the option of requesting the certificate be applied until the possibility of vaccination has been given to the entire population.
“It must be seen from a perspective of equity, of equality of people,” said Puig, who added that it is a question that must be analyzed in a “serene, calm” way, and seeing “all the strengths and weaknesses of this option “.
Coordination tasks
Another community that does not contemplate it is Madrid, which “for the moment” does not plan to request any document in hotels or leisure places, but has demanded that the Ministry of Health “for once carry out coordination tasks” for its application.
Castilla-La Mancha spoke along the same lines, whose spokeswoman, Blanca Fernández, stated that this measure must be adopted within the national framework, because “if not, we will drive citizens and tourists crazy.”
EU digital certificate
The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, already asked about the possibility of using the EU digital certificate for this purpose, stressed the European nature of this document and that its objective is to facilitate mobility between countries, guaranteeing that its user is vaccinated, has passed the disease or has a negative diagnostic test.
Darias emphasized that a legal regulation is necessary to allow Galicia’s use of this document, since, according to Health sources, the European digital certificate is currently only approved to facilitate mobility between countries and must be seen from the legal point of view how it can be given other uses.
Leader in vaccination
The new meeting of the Interterritorial also occurs at a time when Spain leads the world ranking of vaccination against covid-19, although many communities have been demanding more doses for days and will also transfer it to the Conference of Presidents .
This is the case of Madrid, Andalusia or Murcia, among others; the Andalusian counselor of the Presidency, yesterday insisted to the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, to stand before the European Union and pharmaceutical companies and guarantee the community a greater number of vaccines to face the fifth wave.
Lack of vaccines
Madrid blames the problems with the second doses on the lack of vaccines; According to the Minister of Health, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, the region still needs 3.5 million doses to complete the vaccination of the target population pending.
The head of the Executive of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, has also demanded a greater shipment of vaccines and that the distribution calendar be facilitated to the regions in order to meet the objective of having 70 percent of the population immunized this summer: ” current pace – he assured -, not only will Murcia not reach that percentage, but neither will Spain “.
Puncture first doses
Both the minister and the secretary of state, Silvia Calzón, have reiterated that no territory will have “stock breakage problems” due to lack of vials, and therefore they have recommended continuing to click first doses.
Other topics to be discussed are included in the meeting agenda, such as the study of the proposal to appoint representatives for the Institutional Committee of the Spanish Strategy for Personalized Precision Medicine.
Likewise, the criteria for the distribution of funds to the autonomous communities for the Strategy against Rare Diseases, Neurodegenerative Diseases (including ALS) in 2021, and for the improvement of the Information Systems of the National Health System will be analyzed.
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