Almost exactly a month ago the European Union presented the Digital Green Certificate, a kind of “vaccination passport” whose objective is facilitate internal mobility between countries for the summer. This document, which will be a QR code in digit or paper format, will serve as proof that a person has been vaccinated, that they have a negative test or that they have already passed the disease, and Spain trusts to have it fully operational for the summer.
So has advanced Alfredo González, Secretary General of Digital Health, who explained that the Government of Spain and the Autonomous Communities are already working on the implementation of the certificate to “meet the established deadlines.” The intention is to have it implemented by the end of June and fully operational for the summer campaign.
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What is (and what is not) the Digital Green Certificate
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The Digital Green Certificate is not a strictly stated passport, since it will not limit the mobility of those who do not have it. According to González, “it is not a passport, it is not a travel document and it is not a requirement to travel”, but rather it is “a mechanism that facilitates mobility.”
It is an interoperable document for the entire European Union that will inform whether the person wearing it has been vaccinated against COVID-19, if they have a negative RT-PCR test or if they have already passed the disease. It will be completely free and will be offered to all European citizens. It will consist of a QR code and will include the following information, in addition to the name, date of birth and a unique identifier:
- Vaccination certificate: vaccine product and manufacturer, number of doses, date of vaccination.
- Test certificate: type of test, date and time of the test, test center and result;
- Recovery certificate: date of positive test result, certificate issuer, issue date, validity date.
Implementing it is not a simple task and, in fact, involves a “great complexity that requires full coordination like the one it is already producing”. The Autonomous Communities will be in charge of issuing, sealing and delivering the certificates in electronic format (QR Wallet, PDF with QR) or on paper. The Ministry will also issue certificates in assessed cases, in addition to offering the necessary support and coordinating and technically supporting the Autonomous Communities. Likewise, laboratories must also participate, which will be in charge of providing information so that certificates can be issued.
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What will the certificate be for? To somehow avoid the restrictions that the member countries establish on travelers. For example, someone who comes to Spain and presents their Digital Green Certificate will not have to undergo a quarantine or take a test at the airport, since the document certifies that that person is not infected by COVID-19. According to Health, “the check on arrival will be facilitated and the transit will be much faster and easier for the traveler, maintaining maximum health security”.
The Ministry indicates that Spain has different systems that favor the implementation of this document, namely: REGVACU (Information System for monitoring vaccination against COVID-19), SERLAB (State Laboratory Results System) and Spain Travel Health (SpTH, the app with the form to fill out before traveling to Spain).
More information | Ministry of Health
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