Have you had the Coronavirus? You can enter these countries as a tourist
Have you had Coronavirus, recovered and now dreaming of a vacation? There is good (very good) news. There are several countries [...]
Have you had Coronavirus, recovered and now dreaming of a vacation? There is good (very good) news. There are several countries that are considering reopening to tourism, focusing precisely on the former Covid patients. There would be a "fast track" for them, with no quarantine requirement (expected instead in countries such as Thailand).
The case of Iceland
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True, no one is certain that one only gets sick with Covid-19 once. In fact, it seems that infection is possible even among cured people. However, most people who have contracted the virus show appreciable numbers of antibodies even months after certified recovery. It is from this evidence that several countries, especially those with a pronounced tourist vocation, have started.
The concept is that of "immunity passport", which has been talked about for months already. Why not allow those who are cured the opportunity to travel? For tourism it would be a small breath of fresh air, given the current situation.
According to what was revealed by CNN, theIceland will soon announce it: those who have had Coronavirus and can prove it will be able to enter the country as tourists without the quarantine requirement. Currently, travelers admitted to Iceland must undergo a test upon arrival, self-isolate for four or five days, and then undergo an additional test before enjoying their vacation. As of Dec. 10, however, those who can prove that they have had Coronavirus within the past 6 months and have since recovered can avoid quarantine.
Does it also apply to Italians? Yes. Today you can go on vacation to Iceland, although upon returning to Italy you must undergo a fiduciary isolation (if the period is between Dec. 21 and Jan. 6) or you must show a negative molecular test performed no more than 48 hours earlier (before Dec. 21 and after Jan. 6).
Iceland is not the only country that is (almost) open
Iceland is not alone in admitting travelers cured of Coronavirus. L'Hungary, for example, despite being closed even to neighboring countries, has announced that it will espouse the "immunity passport" theory: soon those who have had Covid-19 will be welcome. Finland, Norway and Sweden are also thinking along these lines.
While vaccinations have already begun, airlines, governments and tourism boards are considering different options for "immunity passports." There is talk of digital applications, with certification of vaccines given and of recovery. Border officials could then have simple and secure access to travelers' data, and countries would be better protected. The questions at this point are twofold: which app to use? And what about privacy?
Several airlines support to date CommonPass, an initiative of the World Economic Forum aimed at creating a shared app, which keeps track of immunization records of one person and others health problems important for travel. Using tamper-proof technologies such as blockchain, the app would store the data so that border officials and airline employees can perform verifications quickly and "admit" the traveler. An idea, this one, that JetBlue, Swiss, Virgin Atlantic, and United like very much. Is this the future? Only time will tell.
