Filenews 29 June 2022
EU member states on Tuesday approved the extension of the use of Covid-19 certificates until the end of June 2023 as cases rise shortly before the holiday season due to the new contagious Omicron strains.
Designed to facilitate travel between the union's 27 countries, the certificate came into effect last July and allows holders to travel without restrictions such as quarantine. To date, nearly two billion such certificates have been issued in the EU, the Associated Press reports.
The document, either in physical or electronic form, certifies that the holder is either fully vaccinated for the coronavirus, has recently become ill or has a recent negative test.
The decision to extend its use comes shortly after most EU countries lifted restrictions against the pandemic, but these are again the subject of debate as Omicron's BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variates fuel an increase in the rate of new cases.
In France, for example, Health Minister Brigit Bourginion this week recommended the use of masks in crowded places and on public transport.
