Vacation in Greece? The vaccine will not be necessary
If you are planning to spend your vacation in Greece next summer, but are afraid that you will not receive for [...]
If you are planning to spend the vacations in Greece next summer, but you're afraid you won't get the Covid vaccine in time, there's good news: it won't be mandatory to enter the country.
Vacation in Greece and vaccine: the government's decision
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For Greece's economy, tourism is essential, and with summer 2020 decidedly underwhelming, looking ahead to next July-August is inevitable. Hotels and guesthouses, restaurants and cafes, know that a second season without tourists (or with few tourists) would be detrimental.
Hence, the decision of Gov: No mandatory vaccines for vacation in Greece. In all likelihood, the country will continue along the current line: pcr test negative and filling out the PLF form (Passenger Locator Form) specifying whether you are coming from a high-risk country.
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So here we are, while debating whether or not there should be a digital health passport, there are several countries that have decided to open to tourism despite the absence of vaccine. Or, at least, there are many that are considering it. Spain, Poland, Finland, Estonia and Denmark are not planning to require vaccination certificates. In contrast, Cyprus plans to introduce the requirement. A further step has been taken by the Seychelles, announcing that Vaccinated tourists will not have to do any quarantine.
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The positions of different countries
The European Union is currently working on a privacy-friendly vaccination certification valid in all member countries. With such a document, moving around Europe would be much easier. But numerous overseas states are also thinking in these terms, for a resumption of tourism that is as safe as possible.
WHO's doubts, however, are several. First, it is not yet known how the spread of vaccines will stop the pandemic, even in light of the variants that are spreading. Second, the distribution of serums is still very uneven, and the vaccines used to date have varying degrees of efficacy. Not to mention that, under the age of 16 to 18, they cannot be administered effectively making young tourists potential "vehicles of contagion."
And while England has declared that the health passport will soon be a reality in the UK, the Spanish government is determined to introduce a Electronic registry for those who refuse to vaccinate (and said he was ready to share the data with the European Union). In Poland, however, vaccinees will receive a QR code to prove immunization.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the Europe Commission, said she was in favor of adopting a common line for the entire EU. But she also said that a Negative test as a requirement for entry Of a tourist within state borders.
The no to passport
Opposed to the idea of a health passport are the France and Germany. Clément Beaune, French minister for European Affairs, says it is too early for talk about it: The vaccination campaign has only just begun, and not all EU states are proceeding at the same pace. Germany, however, believes it is unfair to treat those who vaccinate differently from those who do not. Several people, for medical or personal reasons, will not vaccinate. And their freedom cannot be restricted.