The European Union will recommend that member states ease border restrictions to travelers who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, EU diplomats agreed on Wednesday.
During a meeting in Brussels, the EU member representatives said they would also increase the level of new COVID-19 infections a country can hit before being declared unsafe.
Technically, the European Commission can only issue recommendations on such issues, which remain a national responsibility. In practice, though, member states have broadly followed the guidelines agreed for the whole bloc by diplomats in Brussels.
The measure would allow visitors from more countries to enter the bloc, provided they could prove they had been fully inoculated by an EU-approved vaccine.
Currently, non-essential travel into the bloc is banned, with the exception of a small number of countries categorized as safe due to their low COVID-19 case rate.
The diplomats said that the number of infections per 100,000 people that a country could register over two weeks and still be considered for the so-called "digital green certificate" list will increase from 25 to 75.
The measure could allow travel from the UK and Indonesia, among other countries.
The current green list includes Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and China if Beijing agrees to reciprocate.
What other measures did the EU agree on?
The bloc also plans to establish a coordinated "emergency brake" to suspend arrivals from a non-EU country affected by a sudden appearance of a new coronavirus variant.
In the meantime, the bloc said it could also accept third-country vaccination certificates if the shot is also approved in the EU.
Vaccines manufactured by BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson are currently among those approved by the European Medicines Agency.
The COVID incidence rate is dropping overall throughout Europe in parallel with rising vaccination figures. Many countries are thus lifting restrictions and hoping for a rebound in tourism. DW offers an overview.
Image: Zhou Nan/Xinhua/picture allianceOn May 19, restaurants, hotels, theaters, and sport facilities are set to reopen, admitting visitors who show proof of a negative COVID test. These reopening plans will coincide with the elimination of quarantine rules for arriving tourists, enabling vaccinated and tested visitors to enter the country, as well as those who have recovered from COVID-19.
In order to fly to Switzerland, you will need a negative test, but this does not apply to arrivals by land. Only visitors arriving from high-risk areas are required to self-quarantine. Hotels are open, as are museums, stores, theaters and amusement parks. Restaurants are allowed to serve guests outdoors. Maximum occupancy numbers, social-distancing and mask-wearing rules apply everywhere.
In Greece, the outside areas of restaurants are allowed to open again but are required to close by 10:45 p.m., and a curfew is in place starting at 11:00 p.m. Vacationers who want to enter the country are obligated to submit their personal data online and they must show proof of a negative PCR test or that they are fully vaccinated. They dont't need to self-quarantine.
Italy is gradually lifting its restrictions. In areas with lower incidence rates, restaurants are allowed to serve guests outdoors even in the evening, but a curfew is in place starting at 10:00 p.m. Museums and movie theaters in “yellow zones” are open again. Italy aims to officially start its summer season on June 2, but the applicable restrictions for visitors have yet to be drawn up.
France is gradually opening up. Residents are now allowed to go beyond ten kilometers from their homes without a valid reason, and trips within the country are permitted again. A curfew is in place starting at 7 p.m. but is set to be pushed back to 9 p.m. starting on the May 19. Restaurants will then be allowed to serve guests outdoors, and stores and cultural establishments will open again.
The situation in Spain has eased up considerably, with many restrictions already lifted, but several regions plan to maintain their curfews for the time being. Masks will also continue to be mandatory outdoors. Arrivals from EU and Schengen countries are allowed, but those coming from high-risk areas are still required to show a negative test.
After about five and half months, a state of emergency was lifted Portugal on May 1. Restaurants, cultural and recreational establishments are thus now allowed to stay open until 10:30 p.m. In addition, the border with Spain is open again. Tourists from countries with a 14-day incidence rate exceeding 150, however, are still barred from entering Portugal.
In Croatia, hotels are allowed to receive guests and restaurants can open for outdoor dining provided they adhere to certain conditions. In order to enter the country, visitors must show proof of a negative PCR or antibody test, confirmation that they have recovered from COVID-19, or proof that they have been fully vaccinated.
Stores have been reopened, but in order to dine indoors, guests are required to use an app to show they have tested negative, been fully vaccinated, or have recovered from COVID. Fully vaccinated arrivals from EU and Schengen countries are allowed to enter Denmark without a valid reason provided that their country is classified as "orange" or better, meaning with a lower COVID risk.
Hotels are allowed to welcome guests again – at 50% capacity. Outdoor dining will be allowed as well starting on May 15 and indoor dining as of May 29. Visitors are required to self-quarantine for ten days upon arrival unless they show proof of a negative test. Fully vaccinated people and those who have recovered from COVID are likewise exempted from the quarantine requirement.
mvb/msh (dpa, AFP)
