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NewsAre we there yet? Covid Certificates
Are we there yet? Covid Certificates

Are we there yet? Covid Certificates

Last updated by Oliver Tattan on

On July 1st, the European Union launched the EU Digital COVID Certificate to re-open travel within the EU. All member states participated, even those states with high vaccine hesitancy rates like Romania, who have just sold us 1 million surplus vaccines. All 27 member States that is, except Ireland. We are delaying our launch until July 19. Ryanair has called on the Government to explain why Ireland is “Paddy Last” to issue Digital COVID Certificates.

Any EU citizen can get a Certificate if they have either had Covid, had a negative PCR test or have been fully vaccinated. With the Certificate - which will appear as a QR code on your smartphone - holders will be free to travel around the EU without having to quarantine, isolate or restrict their movements. The fact that we are not included means we have to continue to put any holiday or travel plans on hold, but also means that we cannot properly welcome European tourists or business travellers to Ireland.

China has used a type of Digital Covid certificate since the beginning of the pandemic. A QR code on a Chinese citizen’s phone indicated if they were covid free and was scanned to allow access to the workplace, public transport and public buildings. This has allowed Chinese citizens a lot of freedoms to go about their business and avoid the more indiscriminate blanket lockdowns we experienced in Ireland.

On the other hand, the US has not implemented any type of national certificate or passport based on covid status, preferring to just vaccinate as many people as possible and allowing the hesitant the same freedoms as the vaccinated. However, US citizens travelling abroad are still being asked to prove they have been vaccinated, but it is potentially more difficult to safely and privately prove their vaccination status without an official Government Certificate.

The UK, has of course made up it’s own “world beating” system. The UK National Health Service is offering English citizens who still want to travel a PDF as proof of vaccination - in the event that the associated barcode may not be readable at the travel destination.

What do you think? Are Covid Certificates intrusive or freedom enhancing? Are they a sign of reduced civil liberties or efficient law and order? How will you use yours? Share your thoughts below:

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Are we there yet? Covid Certificates

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Mary
Mary from D commented:

I as an older person believe this is a demising people and taking away there liberties and what happens to the people that can’t get a vaccine are they barred from all this 😡 

charlie
charlie from D commented:

Absolutely intrusive of our freedom and has been from day 1. It's heading in the direction of social credit check similar to China. Democracy and freedom are disappearing every day. 

Charles
Charles from WW commented:

My husband and I are Vaccinated since March 2021. We have our U.S. Vaccination Cards but we are unable to ascertain if we can get an E.U. Certificate. We live in Ireland but nobody seems able to answer the question.! We want to travel and did indeed return to Ireland in May with a PCR test as required. We quarantined for the required 2 weeks but nobody checked with either of us despite being required to fill out the Passenger Locator Form. Any comments? Thanks CMJ 

Charles
Charles from WW commented:

My husband and I are Vaccinated since March 2021. We have our U.S. Vaccination Cards but we are unable to ascertain if we can get an E.U. Certificate. We live in Ireland but nobody seems able to answer the question.! We want to travel and did indeed return to Ireland in May with a PCR test as required. We quarantined for the required 2 weeks but nobody checked with either of us despite being required to fill out the Passenger Locator Form. Any comments? Thanks CMJ 

Someone
Someone from G commented:

another example of the growing influence of the EU on countries. I will not be getting a covid certificate despite having received the two doses of the vaccine, who would want to travel with all this hassle 

Michael
Michael from LS commented:

Great idea 

Michael
Michael from LS commented:

Dear Mr Tattan: I would prefer if you and oneBIGswitch stuck to you core purpose ... to “use the latest advances in technology and digital campaigning to help consumers unlock discounts on their household bills.” “… to take co-ordinated action to create competition …” As a member of One Big Switch I do not need to, nor do I want to know your opinion on social matter, or issues relating to Government, unless they concern charges for utilities, insurance etc. Again, stich to your core purpose … There are more than enough ‘opinions’ on social media, on radio stations and in the tabloid newspapers without you and or One Big Switch adding to it … there are enough people stirring dissent without you and or One Big Switch adding to the confusion. STICK TO YOUR CORE PURPOSE. Regards .. Michael Burke. 

Someone
Someone from WX commented:

These certs are nothing but discrimination against people who are very much aware of the serious adverse affects of this mRNA injection. Anyone who hasn't listened to anything other than the corrupt media will clearly not know that!! I cannot understand why people have their heads in the sand about this. It seems that it will now apply to us in domestic settings such as dining out! It is control and it will lead to further controls in the future for all of our children and grandchildren. This is extreme overreach by elected members who are being told how to govern us by non-elected people! There are many highly respected scientists and medical professionals who completely disagree with what is going on and have been silenced. People who have been injected are also testing positive for covid later so where does that leave you safe when dining with the 'clean' ones? I am amazed at some of the comments here regarding getting injected to 'mix with mankind' for example! This is absolute prejudice being cultivated and alive and well. I would guess that there are going to be thousands of court cases following this. Again, this is absolute discrimination based upon very questionable science approach, and will do nothing but divide friends, family and the country! The goal is coercion to make people take this and everyone has the right to decide what they take into their bodies, based upon informed consent. No-one has the right to take away any civil liberties from anyone else based upon their private health choices. 

Terence
Terence from D commented:

Overdue as usual. This government can only firefight, never prepare for the obvious and has an infantile notion of its duty of care. This applies in all aspects of its remit. Terry 

Eibhlin
Eibhlin from WD commented:

They are an absolute erosion of our hard won civil liberties. They infringe on our right to data protection and they are an ill-disguised attempt to get national identity cards in through the back door. 

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