Across the EU, proof of vaccination can be used for travel between countries, usually with the possible alternative of showing a negative Covid-19 test and often quarantining on arrival. But many countries also use vaccination status as a factor in determining access to facilities like dining, events, shops and gyms.
In Sweden this is not the case, with proof of vaccination not required at any public venues or for events.
State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told The Local in mid-July there are no plans to recommend it either, but Trade and Industry Minister Ibrahim Baylan added at the time: "It is very dependent on how the development [of the virus] goes [...] it is not possible to rule it out, of course."
This means the only difference for fully vaccinated people in Sweden, outside international travel, is that symptom-free people who received their second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior are exempt from self-isolation if someone they live with has Covid-19, and people who belong to a risk group and who received a first vaccine dose at least three weeks earlier may be able to return to work if their job cannot be done from home.
Of the European Union's 27 countries, The Local has identified six in addition to Sweden which are not currently using a Covid-19 vaccine pass or other proof of vaccination for access to domestic activities: Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Malta, Poland, and Romania.
Belgium however will introduce its version, called the Covid Safe Ticket, from August 13th, after which it will be used for entry to large events, and ministers in both Finland and Romania have said they are considering making it a requirement for certain activities, specifically for events and restaurants in Finland and malls and restaurants in Romania.
In Malta, while not requiring proof of vaccination to enter public venues, visitors from many countries may only enter the country if fully vaccinated against Covid-19 (with no possibility to show a negative test or proof of recovery instead, as is the case in Sweden and most of the EU).
That leaves Bulgaria, Poland and Sweden as the EU's only three countries where restrictions are the same for vaccinated and non-vaccinated people. And in Poland this has not always been the case; previous limits on some kinds of events excluded fully vaccinated people for example.
As for the other Nordic countries, Norway’s domestic Covid pass is used to access large events such as concerts, festivals and football matches in addition to domestic cruises and tours, while Iceland's Covid-19 restrictions (recently tightened following a sharp rise in cases) are not based on vaccination status, similar to Sweden.
Of the 20 EU countries that are using a vaccine pass or proof of vaccination to regulate access to activities, there are wide variations in how they are implemented. The passes, which have varying names including green card, health pass, corona pass or vaccine pass, can be used but restrictions usually allow for non-vaccinated people to show proof of recent recovery from Covid-19 or a recent negative test result instead. In most countries, testing is available for free.
Austria, Denmark, France, and Italy are the countries where these passes are most widely used, required for a range of activities such as indoor dining, gyms, cultural venues like museums and cinemas, hairdressers, and some long-distance travel. Some German regions have similar restrictions.
Across the continent, indoor dining is one of the most common areas where a pass is required. In Latvia, it is required for indoor restaurants (as well as gyms, cinemas and theatres), although unvaccinated people may dine outdoors, while Lithuania has similar rules but for the unvaccinated service is takeaway only, and in Luxembourg non-vaccinated diners must follow restrictions on distancing, wearing face masks, and limits on total numbers. Cyrpus also requires its SafePass to visit dining establishments as well as malls and some cultural or sports facilities.
In Spain the passes are currently only being used at a regional level, required for bars, cafes and restaurants in two Spanish regions (Galicia and the Canary Islands), and in Germany the rules also differ by region but typically a pass is required for indoor dining or access to venues like gyms. A pass is also required for indoor dining at weekends in Portugal's hardest-hit regions, and nationwide it is required for some sports activities and to stay in a hotel.
In the Netherlands, many restrictions have been lifted but only businesses that check for proof of vaccination may open to full capacity. In Estonia, proof of vaccination (or of a recent negative Covid-19 test) is only required for attendance at large events; in Hungary it is required for large events; and in Croatia the same proof is required for both large events and nightclubs. The Czech Republic does not have a domestic Covid-19 pass as such, but also requires proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test for some cultural activities like theatres.
Although Sweden is an outlier when it comes to the Covid-19 vaccine pass, this could be seen as a continuation of a trend where Sweden has preferred fewer, broader measures that apply equally to the population than strict lockdowns. Restrictions on opening times for bars and restaurants, and recommendations to wear face masks on public transport, for example, were only brought in last winter and have now been removed entirely.
Sweden also stands out for not having an app to assist with contact tracing efforts, where people are notified if someone they were in close proximity to tests positive, as well as for not making Covid-19 tests freely available to symptom-free people and therefore having low testing rates compared to many EU nations.
The latest reports from the European Centre for Disease Control show Sweden's current rate of infection is fairly average within the EU, the 11th lowest after for a long time being one of the countries with the highest rates. In the 14 days up to July 26th, 33 cases were reported per 100,000 residents. That's higher than Bulgaria (13) and Poland (3), the other countries not using vaccine passes domestically at all, but it does not put it among the countries with the highest infection rates.
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