Tag Archives: EU countries

EU TO PRESENT ‘DIGITAL GREEN PASS’ PROPOSAL THIS MONTH

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The EU will present a formal legislative proposal for a digital Covid health pass later this month said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Monday (1 March).


It follows talks between EU heads of state last week. German chancellor Angela Merkel said about three months technical work would be required.


The proposed “green pass” would allow people to move freely between EU countries based on either digital vaccine certification, or Covid testing results.


Merkel added it could “pave the way for further travel from third countries into the EU”; after the UK left the EU on 1 January, it is now considered a third country.


On Monday, von der Leyen said: “We’ll present this month a legislative proposal for a Digital Green Pass. The aim is to provide: proof that a person has been vaccinated; results of tests for those who couldn’t get a vaccine yet; and info on Covid-19 recovery.”


Von der Leyen said the pass would “respect data protection, security and privacy”, adding it should “facilitate Europeans’ live”.


“The aim is to gradually enable them to move safely in the European Union or abroad – for work or tourism,” she added.

A number of countries in Europe have confirmed they will seek Covid-19 vaccine certification, including Greece and Denmark.


Several airlines, meanwhile, have set out plans to adopt digital health passes to certify vaccination and test results, many using Iata’s Travel Pass as a template. Most recently, Malaysia Airlines announced its travel pass plans on Monday (1 March).


Last week, Tui chief Fritz Joussen praised the concepts presented by European countries for restarting travel, highlighting how at the heart of these plans were testing, and uniform proof of vaccination and immunity.


“A European vaccination passport can help restore freedom to travel. There is no doubt about that,” said Joussen.

“With a uniform EU certificate, politicians can now create an important basis for summer travel. As long as not everyone can be vaccinated, rapid tests are the second important building block for safe holidays. They are reliable and are now available in sufficient numbers.”

MSC Cruises Bans Family For Breaking Crucial Coronavirus Safety Rule

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MSC Grandiosa Departs Genoa For First Cruise With New Protocols ...
MSC Grandiosa (closest) and the MSC Magnifica just sticking out.

MSC Cruises has shown just how serious it is about health and safety, removing a family from its ship who broke its coronavirus rules.

The cruise line is operating a select sailing in the Mediterranean aboard its new ship MSC Grandiosa, which was open to residents of Schengen countries only.

The action was taken after a family broke the cruise line’s strict health and safety rules, which included not wandering off on land excursions.

To ensure the safety of passengers, limit contact and manage the spread of the virus, MSC is only allowing guided land excursions. This means passengers stay in a ‘ship bubble’ and don’t come into contact with anyone else not on board the ship.

However, the unnamed passengers decided to break the rules when in Naples, Italy, wandering off from the rest of the group to explore the city on their own.

The passengers were then not allowed to re-embark the ship, for fear of endangering other passengers and crew, the line has confirmed.

World of Cruising Magazine - Grand Designs: On Board MSC Cruises ...
The grand shopping and food courts with the Giant LCD screen ceiling

MSC Grandiosa is the first major ocean ship to sail in the Mediterranean in almost five months, following the coronavirus pandemic.

After approval from the needed ports, MSC Grandiosa set sail on a western Mediterranean cruise on Sunday (16 August), at 70 per cent capacity with 2,500 passengers on board.

The ship left from the Italian port of Genoa on a seven-night sailing calling at Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Palermo and Malta.

Sadly, the sailing was not available for British or Irish passengers, instead only open to residents of EU countries.

“In line with our health and safety protocol, developed to ensure the health and wellbeing of our guests, crew and the communities we visit, we had to deny re-embarkation to a family who broke from their shore excursion while visiting Naples, Italy,” said a spokesperson for MSC Cruises.

“By departing from the organised shore excursion, this family broke from the ‘social bubble’ created for them and all other guests, and therefore could not be permitted to re-board the ship.”

The cruise line stated that other health and safety measures include transfers being properly sanitised, social distancing, tour guides and drivers undergoing health screenings and the wearing of PPE.