EU to extend digital COVID-19 certificates: European Commission

Brussels [Belgium], April 20 (ANI/Sputnik): The European Union is not planning to abandon the digital coronavirus certificate just yet, although most countries have lifted sanitary restrictions related to COVID-19, a European Commission spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"It (validity period of certificate) would normally come to an end at the end of June, we have proposed to prolong it one more time simply because we do not know how the epidemiological situation will develop over the next months, in particular in autumn," Wigand told a briefing, adding that it is important to be prepared and have this useful tool ready, especially given the possibility of new variants of COVID-19 emerging.
The certificate has greatly facilitated safe travel within the EU and supported the tourism sector, Wigand added.
Since last July, the EU has been operating a system of digital coronavirus certificates. The document is issued to those with full vaccination, a recent negative PCR test, or successfully recovery from COVID-19. The system of certificates was originally introduced for one year. In total, about 1.7 billion certificates were issued and used in 60 countries. (ANI/Sputnik)