As Europe Re-opens, Travellers Still Face Tough Choices

By Milan Korcok

Since introducing its Digital Covid Certificate, better known as the Green Pass program, the European Union has made great strides in promoting universal vaccination among its member nations and setting standards for other “3rd countries” seeking to stamp out the last vestiges of the coronavirus pandemic.

 With full-vaccination rates across the EU exceeding 75 percent among adults, and some larger states  moving well beyond (i.e., France 85%, Spain 83% and Germany 78%), re-opening travel within the Union  is being steadily advanced. The EU’s Green Pass goal is to allow all citizens who are fully vaccinated with approved vaccines, or recovered persons with restored immunity, to travel freely to neighbouring nations and abroad. (The EU Pass was implemented July 1, 2021 and is intended to remain in place until June 30, 2022).

 Though individual nations remain free to impose or waive restrictions for their own borders, EU criteria urge that mutual re-openings are best achieved between nations that can reliably report no more than 75 new COVID cases per 100,000 inhabitations on average over the previous 14 days; that have stabilized the incidence of new cases; that are regularly testing at least 300 adults per 100,000 population with not more than 4 % positives; and that have reliable surveillance reporting capability and are open to reciprocating entry privileges with other nations. To date the EU recognizes vaccines from Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen.  Norway and nine other EU/Schengen Area countries have also recognized Sinovac vaccine as valid proof of immunity. (Data derived from Schengen Daily Reports).

 However, consistency among nations within the EU and 3rd countries is elusive and continues to challenge even the most intrepid traveller. More than ever, professional travel insurance advisors, using available technologies to assess real risk conditions on-the- ground have an essential role in helping their clients navigate often conflicting information and keeping them safe.

 For example in just one week in October (8 to 15) 2021:

·         The EU Council updated its list of non-EU countries for which COVID travel restrictions should be lifted to include Australia, Canada, Ukraine, UAE, Bahrain, several middle eastern countries, EU- associated states Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and several Asia/Pacific nations as well as residents of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican (associate members of the Schengen Area).

·         The UK announced that all citizens coming from one of the 27 European Union member states, the four Schengen Associated Countries – Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein – as well as the microstates of Monaco, Vatican City and San Marino, who have been fully vaccinated and are holders of the EU Digital Covid Certificate, were eligible to enter the UK free of entry requirements providing that on 2nd day of arrival PCR test was arranged (moving to Antigen test from end of Oct 2021)

On the other hand:

·         The ECDC identified a surge of cases in major areas of Norway and placed some of these regions on the Red map list—discouraging travel to these areas—especially for the unvaccinated.

·         Germany opened up for travellers from Algeria, Fiji, Morocco. Sri Lanka and Tunisia as all five had been removed from that country’s list of high-risk countries, yet the ECDC revealed that the COVID-19 situation had worsened in Germany, Finland, and Ireland, “which makes them amongst the most unsafe countries in the block to travel to”. ECDC also cited data showing that the three countries had registered 72 to 200 COVID-19 infection cases per 100,000 inhabitants and had test positivity rates of 4 percent more during the previous two weeks.

As COVID transmission rates continue to surge in some areas and wane in others, navigating the complexities of international travel requires a good deal of diligence. Planning so called “non-essential” travel—re-uniting with family, attending sports events, enjoying simple vacations in ski country or at the shoreline—are keys to re-igniting the global travel and tourism industry—which in pre-pandemic years generated $90.2 trillion to the world economy (World Travel and Tourism Council data).   

It’s not going to be easy. But what choice is there?

Milan Korcok is a national award wining medical writer who has been covering international medical and travel health issues for leading professionals journal in the United States, Canada, and the UK for many years. He works and resides in Florida.