Vaccinated British Tourists Could Be ‘Fast-Tracked’ For Spanish Holidays
Spain News
Published: 15 February 2021 12:24 CET
Updated: 17 February 2021 12:24 CET
It has been revealed that vaccinated British tourists looking to visit Spain for a sunshine getaway could soon be “fast-tracked” under new plans.
Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez announced that countries are working on ‘some sort of fast-track’ to allow people to travel if they can provide proof that they have had the vaccine.
UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock has confirmed that the UK is one of those countries talking about introducing a certification scheme. He said that “some countries” are talking about introducing rules that will only allow entry to those who have been vaccinated.
Gonzalez said that if the "fast-tracking" goes ahead, Brits who could prove that they have had the vaccination would be allowed entry into the country.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: “What we have in mind is that obviously, people with vaccine certificates are in the lower-risk versus other people who may be on the higher risk and would have to go through the ordinary procedures of PCR tests and the rest”.
She continued saying "But of course there could be some sort of fast-track for people who have gotten their vaccine and can prove it with vaccine certification, where mobility would be easier because they would be in the lower-risk category.
"This is the scheme that Spain, together with a group of other countries are working on".
Israel is one country that is already moving ahead with a scheme of this type. Only last week Israel signed a deal with Greece to help ease travel restrictions for Israelis, which will be known as the “Green Pass”, which will give proof of vaccination.
Currently, it isn’t clear how any type of Spanish scheme would interconnect with UK quarantine rules, but Mr Hancock speaking to Sky News said: “We want Brits to be able to travel to those countries and therefore enable Brits to be able to demonstrate their vaccine status, so that sort of vaccine certification is something we talking to our international counterparts about and there are people who are arguing that is the right way to have safe global travel again because that’s very restricted at the moment”.
Also speaking to Sky News was Dr David Nabarro, who is the World Health Organisation’s special envoy for the global Covid-19 response. He stated that "I am absolutely certain in the next few months we will get a lot of movement...so some sort of vaccine certificate no doubt will be important".
It comes as the UK announced that it had passed a "significant milestone" with more than 15 million people now vaccinated with their first Coronavirus jab.
Boris Johnson hailed it as an "extraordinary feat", after achieving the goal after just two months.
Source
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/vaccinated-brits-could-fast-tracked-23501754
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-vaccine-passport-holiday-095725619.html
