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ARCHIVED - Valencia poised to introduce Covid passport scheme at hospitality and leisure venues
The Costa Blanca leisure sector is demanding the use of Covid certificates be extended to shopping centres
Daily Covid cases have skyrocketed in the Valencia region over the last three weeks, shooting up to 1,164 over the weekend, the highest figure recorded since August 30, and with winter just around the corner, the regional government wants to avoid a new wave of contagions similar to that which cause the collapse of the health system in the New Year.
So, with the bulk of the target population now vaccinated, President of Valencia, Ximo Puig, has announced plans to implement the Covid passport across the hotel and leisure sector. The announcement has prompted demands from this particular sector for the use of the Covid certificate to be extended to shopping centres, cinemas and football stadiums.
Puig advocated the use of the passport scheme a couple of months ago, and called for a "common national position so that there no differences between autonomous regions or discrepancies between the various courts of justice".
But since there has been no real movement by the central government, the Generalitat is taking the initiative and joining other autonomous regions, such as Galicia and Catalonia, to implement the use of Covid passports to gain access to certain establishments and venues.
An announcement is expected to be made before the end of the week detailing exactly which sectors and establishments will be affected.
However, on Monday November 15, Puig confirmed vaccination will be obligatory to enter enclosed spaces "where there is more possibility of contagion and where wearing a mask and social distancing is more complicated".
Whilst the hospitality and leisure sector is not against making a Covid passport necessary to access premises, representatives are demanding other sectors are also included.
"It would not make sense to require vaccination to enter a discotheque or a restaurant but not to enter a football stadium, a basketball court, a cinema or a shopping centre, where there are thousands of people and where there are also restaurants and cafes," argued Lalo Díez, president of the Valencia region's Leisure and Hospitality Coordinator (CEOH).
He added that the sector "supports the extension of this measure to try to increase the vaccination rate and recover pre-pandemic life", but is calling for "equal treatment with other sectors so that we don't feel singled out again".
CEOH also wants the regional government to provide adequate technological means to securely implement the passport scheme to be able to detect, for example, if someone presents false documentation.
Not surprisingly, Puig's announcement has been welcomed by experts in Epidemiology and Public Health, who have been calling for months for the Covid passport requirement to be introduced to access bars and restaurants.
"I think it's an excellent idea and, as in Austria, I would consider tougher measures against unvaccinated people," said epidemiologist José María López Lozano.
In Austria, the decision has been taken to impose confinement for unvaccinated people in order to stop the spread of the virus.
"It is unacceptable that in the Valencian Community there are still half a million people who have not yet been vaccinated, because they are endangering their own lives and those of the people around them", warned the health expert.
Meanwhile, the president of the Valencian Society of Preventive Medicine, Juan Francisco Navarro, pointed out the use of the Covid passport is crucial to avoid "a mini-pandemic among unvaccinated people".
He also stressed that the majority of unvaccinated people in the region are in Alicante province where 85.6% of people over the age of 12 are fully immunised, compared to 91% in Castellón and Valencia.
Image: Archive
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