Covid pass to come into force amid fears of Delta variant

The EU document - sporting a QR code and available in digital form on smartphones or hard copy - shows whether the bearer is vaccinated with one of the EU’s approved jabs (from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson), has recovered from a Covid-19 infection, or has a recent negative test.

An EU-wide Covid-19 certificate for easier travel will come into force on Thursday, just in time for Europe’s busy summer vacation period, but the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus is threatening to curtail its use.

The certificate does away with the need for quarantines or further testing when travelling between the EU’s 27 countries or four associated European nations (Bloomberg)

The EU document - sporting a QR code and available in digital form on smartphones or hard copy - shows whether the bearer is vaccinated with one of the EU’s approved jabs (from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson), has recovered from a Covid-19 infection, or has a recent negative test.

Under an EU law adopted this month, the certificate does away with the need for quarantines or further testing when travelling between the EU’s 27 countries or four associated European nations: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Twenty EU countries have already started issuing and accepting it. But a surge in the Delta variant, now rampant in the UK, could trigger an “emergency brake” provision suspending its acceptance.

Portugal and Spain on Monday announced entry restrictions for travellers from Britain, with Lisbon requiring them to be fully vaccinated and Madrid demanding proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test.

Earlier, Britain’s senior military commanders were self-isolating after chief of defence staff Nick Carter tested positive for Covid-19.

In Australia, new cases popped up in various cities on Monday, prompting local authorities to impose restrictions. Brisbane, Darwin, Perth and Sydney have all reported new cases of the Delta variant.

In Luxembourg, PM Xavier Bettel has tested positive for Covid-19 with mild symptoms and is self-isolating for 10 days.

Italians were able to go outside without masks on Monday after the whole country became a “low-risk” zone, a milestone for the country hit badly by the pandemic in 2020. In a decree, the health ministry for the first time said masks were not compulsory in outdoor areas.