PROPERTY SEARCH
PROPERTY SEARCH
ARCHIVED - Omicron causes disputes over EU travel policy
Spain has refused to request Covid tests from vaccinated EU passengers
The seemingly irrepressible spread of the Omicron variant, expected to be the dominant strain in the EU by mid-January, became the central issue of discussions at the last 2021 summit of European leaders on Thursday December 17. However, not all were in accord, and issues such as border control, vaccine passports and testing requirements divided member states as the worsening health situation begins to take its toll.
Following the meeting, the president of the Spanish government Pedro Sanchez categorically ruled out requiring Covid tests from EU passengers who have been fully vaccinated, as other member states such as Ireland, Italy and Portugal have done.
Since booster jabs for those over 40 were approved this week and the campaign to inoculate younger children got underway, Sanchez has argued that “we are better prepared than a year ago to be able to face Christmas.”
It is precisely this issue which has caused the most consternation; as Ursula von der Leyen called for “continuous coordinated efforts while ensuring that any restriction is based on objective criteria and does not undermine the functioning of the single market or disproportionately impede free movement between Member States," several nations have already implemented their own unilateral testing requirements, with France going so far as to ban fully vaccinated UK tourists from Saturday.
What the leaders could agree on, however, is the need to push the vaccinated campaign for those who are still not inoculated. While 67% of the European population is now vaccinated, nine countries (Hungary, Estonia, Slovenia, Poland, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria) have jabbed less than 60%.
"We have to work hard to increase those rates", Ms Von der Leyen stressed.
Spain is currently number six in the complete vaccination rankings, behind Denmark, Portugal, Malta, Ireland and Belgium, but it has fallen well behind in administering the booster dose (only 11%).
According to diplomatic sources, mandatory vaccination, which appeared to be gaining ground until recently and has been unequivocally supported by Germany and Austria, hardly featured in Thursday’s discussions.
The very first Covid vaccination was administered on December 27 in Spain and now almost 90 per cent of over 12s are double jabbed.
Image: Archive
Read more about Coronavirus:
OR
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin to get a comprehensive email with all the week’s news for Spain, Murcia, Alicante and Andalucía.
Get a sneak peek – here are a few of our recent Subscription Bulletins:
50% Discount Special Offer subscription:
24.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
Contact Spanish News Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268
