Brussels, November 24 (BNA) German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth said on Tuesday that the European Union Covid-19 travel card must be updated to show the validity of the holder’s vaccination status.
Speaking at a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels, Roth said it was “of the utmost importance” that EU leaders take measures to “help as many people as possible move freely in the EU,” German news agency dpa reported.
On Monday, European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said in a speech to the European Parliament that the European Commission is working to amend the EU travel and travel card rules related to the coronavirus “to avoid fragmentation”.
An EU Digital Covid Certificate allows its holder to travel to the European Union if they have been vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or have recently been tested negative for the virus.
The travel permit has been pivotal to the coordinated return of freedom of movement in the European Union after the pandemic lockdowns.
European Union member states are preparing for boosted vaccine campaigns to curb rising levels of infection. Some are also introducing new criteria for the status of full vaccination amid a fourth wave of the Corona virus.
In Greece, people aged 60 or over must get a booster in order for their vaccination status to remain in effect. In France, the same applies to people over 65 years old.
EU member states lobbied the EU’s authority to link the vaccination verification status on the travel card to include booster vaccine doses.
EU ministers also discussed reluctance to take up vaccinations, and concern that unvaccinated parts of the population are driving up Covid-19 cases and increasing hospitalizations.
Slovenian Minister of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jasper Dovzan said at a press conference that false information about vaccines needs to be confronted to address hesitation about the vaccine.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday that Europe was “mainly dealing with the pandemic of the unvaccinated”.
She added that the booster shots were essential.
MI