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European Union lawmakers on Wednesday approved a new travel certificate that will allow people to move between European countries without having to quarantine or take additional tests for the coronavirus, paving the way for the card to start in time for the summer.
The long-awaited certification aims to rescue Europe’s travel industry and major tourist spots from another disastrous holiday season. Major travel destinations such as Greece have spearheaded the campaign for certification, which will be quickly offered in both paper and digital form.
Several EU countries have already started using the system, including Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece and Poland.
Currently, traveling in the 27 European Union countries is an experiential experience for tourists and airlines alike. Countries have different COVID-19 traffic light regulations, with those in green considered safe and those in red to be avoided. But every country has different rules and standards, which can make travel confusing for everyone.
New regulations governing vaccine certification were adopted in two votes in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
Voting must be done with a rubber stamp by EU countries, but that will likely be a formality.
This means that starting July 1 for 12 months, everything EU countries must recognize Vaccine certificate. It will be issued free of charge and certify that the person has either been fully vaccinated against the virus, recently tested negative or recovered from the disease.
The rules will not be strictly enforced for six weeks to allow countries to prepare.
Permits will be issued by individual countries, not from a central European system. It will contain a QR code with advanced security features. Personal data will not be shared with other countries.
Canada’s tourism sector is also seeking clarity about reopening, with operators in many provinces pushing for clearer guidelines, and others seeking details about when travelers from the United States may be welcomed back.
The hard-hit Canadian tourism industry is looking to clarify when the US-Canada border will reopen. But while they are excited to go, they need enough time to get ready. 2:00
— From The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 7:05 a.m. ET
What’s happening all over Canada
As of 10:15 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Canada had reported 1,395,821 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 20,985 being considered active. CBC News’ death toll is 25,824. More than 26.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far across the country, according to the CBC Vaccine Tracker.
Ontario On Wednesday, it recorded 33 deaths and 411 new cases of COVID-19. According to the updated regional figures, the number of hospitalizations reached 571, with 466 people in intensive care units due to COVID-19.
Across the North, there have been no new cases to report Nunavut On Wednesday, Prime Minister Joe Savikatak said. Health officials in Northwest Territories And the Yukon It has not yet provided an update.
In Atlantic Canada on Tuesday, health officials reported 21 new cases of COVID-19, including:
- Seventeen new cases in Nova Scotia, including nine in the central region that includes Halifax.
- Three new cases in Newfoundland and Labrador And one additional death, bringing the number of deaths in the region to seven.
- One new case in new bronze, where health officials are reaching out to people who are not immunized as they try to meet the goal of getting a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 75 percent of eligible people.
- No new cases in Prince Edward Island.
at QuebecMeanwhile, health officials reported four deaths and 149 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The update came as Prime Minister Francois Legault said the province was speeding up its plan for disengagement. Legault said all county areas will be at either green or yellow pandemic alert levels starting next Monday, allowing indoor private gatherings and team sports to resume.
Toronto respiratory physician Dr. Sameer Gupta says cards that give people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 special privileges, as Manitoba plans to offer, are a good idea, as they may encourage more people to get vaccinated. 2:18
across the prairie counties, Manitoba On Tuesday, it reported two additional deaths and 237 new cases of COVID-19 as Prime Minister Brian Pallister announced a plan to obtain an immunization card for Manitoba’s fully vaccinated residents.
With the card, people traveling within Canada will be allowed to skip the two-week isolation period when they return to the province.
at SaskatchewanOn Tuesday, health officials reported two additional deaths and 90 new cases of COVID-19.
AlbertaOn Tuesday, the Medical Officer of Health reported 139 new cases of COVID-19 and three new deaths.
at British Columbia, health officials say it is encouraging to see a steady increase in the number of people protected with the COVID-19 vaccine as the number of cases declines. The update came as BC reported 165 new infections and no additional deaths.
— From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 10:15 a.m. ET
What is happening around the world
As of early Wednesday morning, more than 174 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide, according to a database from Johns Hopkins University in the United States. The worldwide reported death toll has reached more than 3.7 million.
at Africa, in the global race to vaccinate people against COVID-19, the continent tragically falls to the back of the pack. In South Africa, which has the continent’s strongest economy, only 0.8 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. In Nigeria, it is 0.1 percent. Kenya is even lower. Uganda has recalled the doses from rural areas because they are nearly insufficient to combat outbreaks in major cities.
In the Asia Pacific In the region, South Korea is in talks with Singapore about opening its first “travel bubble” in July, which will allow vaccinated passengers on direct flights to bypass quarantine.
Health officials said Wednesday that the country has also proposed bubbles with Taiwan, Thailand and the US Pacific territories of Guam and Saipan as they look to ease pandemic-related travel restrictions to revive faltering tourism and aviation industries. South Korea is currently imposing a two-week quarantine on most passengers arriving from abroad.
In the AmericasThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased travel recommendations for more than 110 countries and territories, including Japan, ahead of the Olympics.
In the Middle east, Local media reported that there were six deaths and 2,179 new cases of COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
— From The Associated Press, Reuters, and CBC News, last updated at 6:55 a.m. ET
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