As of: 02/22/2022 4:44 p.m
Since the PCR test capacities in some EU countries have reached their limits due to the omicron wave, a positive rapid test will suffice for the EU proof of recovery in the future. In addition, entry rules are to be relaxed.
In the future, citizens will also be able to receive EU-wide proof of a recovered corona infection after a positive rapid test. However, this must have been carried out by suitably qualified personnel and must be listed on the joint EU list of rapid antigen tests for Covid-19, the EU Commission said. EU countries can also issue these certificates retrospectively based on tests conducted from October 1.
New rules apply immediately
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides stressed that this could alleviate some of the considerable pressure on national screening capacities. So far, proof of recovery could only be issued if the corona infection was proven with a positive PCR test result. In the course of the omicron wave, however, there were bottlenecks in PCR tests in Germany, for example. The new rules apply immediately.
Countries like Germany can issue convalescent certificates based on rapid antigen tests as soon as they are ready, according to the EU Commission. The EU certificates for vaccinations, convalescence and recent tests can be stored digitally on the smartphone. In many countries, including those outside the European Union, you can use a QR code to prove that you meet certain entry requirements.
EU wants to make entry easier
In addition, the countries of the EU make it easier for vaccinated or recovered tourists to enter the country. The EU Commission recommended that member states lift all testing and quarantine requirements for travelers who have received vaccines approved by the EU or the World Health Organization (WHO) from March 1st. Children under the age of six who are traveling with an accompanying adult should also no longer be tested.
“The updates will further facilitate travel to the EU from outside the EU and take into account the development of the pandemic, the increasing vaccination rate worldwide and the administration of booster doses,” the EU Commission said. Travelers who have received vaccines that are approved by the WHO but are not allowed to be used in the EU can still be asked to present a negative PCR test or go into quarantine, according to the communication.
Anyone who has recovered from Covid disease within 180 days before the trip is considered recovered. The last vaccination dose must have been administered at least 14 days and no more than 270 days before entry or the traveler must have received a booster dose. So far, the corona vaccines from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, from Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax have been approved in the EU.