COVID-19 Coronavirus: EU Commission, “common path” to safe re-opening. Von der Leyen, possible third wave. Vaccines, AstraZeneca delays

The Commission has today proposed the creation of a Digital Green Certificate “to facilitate safe free movement inside the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic”, Ursula von der Leyen announced at the press conference in Brussels following the College meeting. The Digital Green Certificate (also called “vaccine passport”) will be “a proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result or recovered from COVID-19”. The Certificate will be available, free of charge, in digital or paper format and will include a QR code to ensure its security and authenticity. “The vaccine situation is slowly improving”, von der Leyen said, and pharmaceutical companies “are supplying the expected doses, except AstraZeneca”, which is why the vaccination campaign is lagging behind in some countries. She then added that the “epidemiological situation is worsening”, due to the rapid spread of “new variants” of the virus which may increase the risk of a “third wave”. The EC President also spoke of “restrictions” on vaccine exports.
Valentina Bombelli