Germany, France, Greece, Ireland and Italy are some of the European countries that have imposed the use of covid or health certificates for access the interior of bars, restaurants, gyms, sports facilities or to attend cultural events. At Spanish stateHowever, the central government has left in the hands of the autonomous communities the decision to implement measures to access certain public places or enjoy leisure activities. In this way, territories such as Galicia and Cantabria have already taken steps in that direction, and Catalonia and the Valencian Community have requested the central government to regulate the use of the covid certificate. Meanwhile, the courts have overturned the precautionary measures in the Canary Islands, and in Andalusia they await the judicial endorsement to implement it.

But, What is the covid certificate? It is a digital document that allows travel, without further restrictions, between countries of the European Union that certifies that a person has been vaccinated against covid-19, has recovered from the disease or has a negative test in the last 48/72 hours .

Although initially this certificate was devised to ensure the free movement between European countries, little by little some governments have begun to demand it, in various ways, to allow the access to certain public places in order to avoid transmission of the virus in closed spaces.

The Government of Spain has refused to impose the COVID certificate in the State in a generalized way, however, it has left the door open for the autonomous communities, within their health competencies, to demand it. In this case, in addition to the certificate, they have begun to valid any negative diagnostic test.

Galicia and Cantabria They have implemented this measure in their municipalities that are at the highest level of alert. The first to apply it was Galicia; Since last July 24, it is mandatory to present the COVID certificate or present a negative test to access the interior of the hotel and catering establishments. Cantabria, however, imposed it last Thursday.

Meanwhile, on July 29, the courts they suspended in a precautionary manner, those same measures required by the Canary Islands Government, and in Andalusia They have been waiting since last Monday for downstream of the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA) to require the COVID certificate to access the interior of nightlife venues, so the measure will not come into force until the court rules.

On Iparralde, and throughout the French State, as of August 9, the health certificate (recent negative test, certificate of complete vaccination or recovery) will be required to access a hotel business, even a terrace, to travel by train. long-haul, flying within the State and to access health centers (as long as they are not urgent patients) or nursing homes.

This measure has been applied since last July 21, focusing only on places of leisure and culture, but now the French Constitutional Council has validated it to extend it to all the aforementioned areas.

And what about the rest of Europe?

This Friday comes into force in Italy the so-called digital green passport, which will be mandatory to access a closed space and be able to participate in activities that bring together a large number of people. Likewise, it will be compulsory in the country’s schools and universities. In this case, as reported by the country’s authorities, a dose of the vaccine, a medical certificate proving having passed the disease or a negative test carried out in the previous 48 hours will be sufficient.

Portugal requires the certificate to access the hotel industry (only on weekends) and hotels; Ireland only for the hospitality industry; and Switzerland for discos and mass events. Netherlands, for its part, has authorized the owners of the premises to request negative tests from their clients, while Greece requires the covid certificate to enter shopping centers, hotels or enjoy cultural activities. Meanwhile in Germany it is the länder or federated states who decide whether or not they require the vaccination certificate or negative tests to access certain closed spaces.

Discrimination between vaccinated and unvaccinated

The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has initiated a campaign to request that the diagnostic tests are free. He recalled that in Spain there is a “considerable percentage” of people over 12 years of age who have not been able to access full vaccination and believe that they are producing discrimination between vaccinated people with access to the covid certificate and those who must pay for the tests to be able to travel or access certain places.

The OCU remembers that each test costs between 30 and 70 euros in the case of antigen tests, the accepted validity of which is usually 48 hours, or between 70 and 120 euros in PCR, the accepted validity of which is usually 72 hours.