Spain's Andalusia and Valencia regions set to extend Covid health pass rule for daily affairs
Valencian authorities on Thursday announced they will extend the requirement of the Covid health pass to access indoor public spaces for another month, while the Andalusian government have requested local judges keep the measure as well, bucking the trend of other Spanish regions that are scrapping the rule.
Residents and tourists staying in Alicante or other parts of the Costa Blanca or the Valencia region will have to continue showing a Covid certificate for domestic matters until February 28th.
That means that people in the region of 5 million inhabitants will need to show a Covid certificate with a QR Code that shows Covid vaccination, testing or recovery in order to gain access to the inside of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, celebrations, large events, hospitals and care homes.
Valencian regional president Ximo Puig announced on Thursday that his government had received judicial approval to keep the measure in place, arguing that it does help to prevent Covid infections in indoor spaces.
Whether the Covid health pass is effective in preventing the spread of the Omicron variant has been called into question by health experts. Authorities first in Cantabria and on Wednesday in Catalonia have decided to scrap the measure after studies found it to be ineffective in reducing case numbers.
The other Spanish regions that implemented the Covid passport rule now have to consider whether to request an extension or not. The government of the Balearics Islands - which includes Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera - announced last Friday that they had received court approval to keep requesting the Covid health pass to enter hospitality venues for an extra week until Friday January 28th.
READ ALSO: Is the Covid health pass helping to reduce infections in Spain?
What the Covid health pass may have helped to achieve in the Valencian Community is the vaccination of 132,000 people with their first vaccine dose, a spike that’s occurred since the health pass rule was implemented.
In the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, authorities have also requested their regional high court extend the Covid health pass rule for daily affairs for another 15 days until mid-February (*UPDATE: On Saturday January 29th approved this extension until February 15th).
If approved, providing the Covid-19 vaccination certificate or a negative test – PCR within 72 hours or antigen within 48 hours– will continue to be required for entry into hospitality and nightlife establishments as well as for visits to hospitals and nursing homes in Andalusia.
Around 90 percent of the region’s population over the age of five has been fully vaccinated, so an extension would potentially affect one in ten people in the region of 8.4 million inhabitants.
Andalusia and the Valencia region already received approval from local judges to extend the Covid health pass measure on another occasion earlier in January.
READ ALSO: How to get Spain’s Covid health pass for daily affairs in your region
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Residents and tourists staying in Alicante or other parts of the Costa Blanca or the Valencia region will have to continue showing a Covid certificate for domestic matters until February 28th.
That means that people in the region of 5 million inhabitants will need to show a Covid certificate with a QR Code that shows Covid vaccination, testing or recovery in order to gain access to the inside of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, celebrations, large events, hospitals and care homes.
Valencian regional president Ximo Puig announced on Thursday that his government had received judicial approval to keep the measure in place, arguing that it does help to prevent Covid infections in indoor spaces.
Whether the Covid health pass is effective in preventing the spread of the Omicron variant has been called into question by health experts. Authorities first in Cantabria and on Wednesday in Catalonia have decided to scrap the measure after studies found it to be ineffective in reducing case numbers.
The other Spanish regions that implemented the Covid passport rule now have to consider whether to request an extension or not. The government of the Balearics Islands - which includes Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera - announced last Friday that they had received court approval to keep requesting the Covid health pass to enter hospitality venues for an extra week until Friday January 28th.
READ ALSO: Is the Covid health pass helping to reduce infections in Spain?
What the Covid health pass may have helped to achieve in the Valencian Community is the vaccination of 132,000 people with their first vaccine dose, a spike that’s occurred since the health pass rule was implemented.
In the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, authorities have also requested their regional high court extend the Covid health pass rule for daily affairs for another 15 days until mid-February (*UPDATE: On Saturday January 29th approved this extension until February 15th).
If approved, providing the Covid-19 vaccination certificate or a negative test – PCR within 72 hours or antigen within 48 hours– will continue to be required for entry into hospitality and nightlife establishments as well as for visits to hospitals and nursing homes in Andalusia.
Around 90 percent of the region’s population over the age of five has been fully vaccinated, so an extension would potentially affect one in ten people in the region of 8.4 million inhabitants.
Andalusia and the Valencia region already received approval from local judges to extend the Covid health pass measure on another occasion earlier in January.
READ ALSO: How to get Spain’s Covid health pass for daily affairs in your region
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