Chancellor Kurz wants passport for vaccinated people this spring

Spread the love

Read Time:1 Minute, 53 Second

Chancellor Kurz Kurz and Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger support the “green passport.” This must come in the spring, they say. If there is no EU consensus, Kurz wants to implement this in Austria.

Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger, according to Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, is also in favor of the introduction of an EU-wide uniform “Green Passport” to enable social life and freedom of travel again despite the Corona crisis.

The goal is a digital passport solution that is practicable to use on a cell phone and can be updated flexibly. The digital “Green Passport” can contain the following information:

➤ A vaccination

➤ Evidence of a passed infection

➤ Negative test result that is not older than 48 hours.

“A uniform and recognized ‘green passport’ throughout Europe is the right approach to regain the greatest possible freedom despite the corona crisis. A digital cell phone solution that informs about vaccination, infection or test result is also the key to reopen the gate for travel,” Köstinger said.

Austria had already submitted this proposal to the Portuguese Council Presidency and the EU Commission, she said. It will also be discussed intensively at the meeting of EU tourism ministers on Monday, she added. A uniform and rapid digital solution must be in the interest of all EU member states, he said.

Prior to the EU summit, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) reiterated his call for a digital “green passport”: “I assume that this project will have to be implemented in the spring at any rate,” the chancellor was quoted as saying by APA. If no EU-wide solution is possible, he wants to dare a national solo attempt “with corresponding agreements with other states where similar things apply”.

Köstinger: “It is a matter of quickly making safe travel and safe vacations possible again. A digital passport would make our tourism location more attractive for domestic and international guests. Everyone involved would benefit from this security measure – both tourists and the businesses that cater to guests with their employees.”

He continued, “The ‘Green Pass’ would of course also be an essential tool for catering and events to get back on track. It’s crucial that this digital solution gets up and running quickly and is easy to use.”