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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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Geraldine
Geraldine from C commented:

Freedom enhancing. 

Someone
Someone from WH commented:

This is discrimination and a complete violation of human rights, not only in Ireland but throughout the world. And all the africans who CREATED this pandemic will one day be punished ... 

Someone
Someone from C commented:

These 'Green Certificates' are about coercion and controlling populations. Why not just issue yellow stars to people who have not yet been vaccinated or have not yet decided which vaccine to go with? These people are in the minority anyway??? or are they???? 

Someone
Someone from D commented:

This is infringement of our rights. I went abroad last year. No test no vaccine yet in a pandemic. But now test or vaccine. What if you do not comply to this bullshit. What choice do you have. I am not at risk and will not risk my health taking this experimental vaccine. We are going down a dangerous road encouraging all to take part in a drug experiment. It's coercion 

Someone
Someone from MH commented:

Nothing more than a tool by governments to control the people and sow division. The fearful rejoice and turn on the strong willed, which helps to strengthen the governments control. 

Someone
Someone from KY commented:

My opiniom od not selfish l am heathy without vacine. Take 20 if you want ! 

Someone
Someone from TA commented:

Absolute invasion of civil liberties. One should have the choice of whether or not to take the vaccine. So long as people are practicing social distancing and other safety measures, everything else should be a choice, not penalising those who don't or can't take it. 

Someone
Someone from KY commented:

This is not only obviously discriminatory, but an infringement of data protection. This is yet another attempt to push uptake of this experimental drug on more people who may take it if they feel they will be penalized socially. Remember that this is the very reason many have already chosen to be jabbed - the threat of not being able to travel. How's that working out for them, I wonder? 

Someone
Someone from G commented:

I wish the Irish government would be transparent and say, 'We're in infinity lockdown because our health system remains utterly shite and has no chance of coping if it is overwhelmed and we've done nothing in particular about it but spent a lot of funds on making a healthy population sicker mentally, socially and emotionally.' The Irish hospital crisis has been going for as long as I remember, fix the root change the fruit, time to end the BS. 

Someone
Someone from D commented:

Pure Naziism control 

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