There is no longer any green region in Europe, in the new map of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Ecdc). The virus is starting to circulate faster and faster and even in Italy the largest number of regions is in yellow. There are areas such as, the Province of Bolzano and Friuli Venezia Giulia, which are in dark red and the Province of Trento, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Val d’Aosta, Liguria, Marche and Lazio are in red.
In the rest of Europe the situation is quite similar and the highest incidence of infections compared to the population is recorded in Central Eastern Europe, in the Benelux countries, in the Baltic ones and in Ireland: all in dark red. Spain, France, Sweden and Portugal are mainly in the red.
How are these colors established?
The ECDC maps remain, but the criteria for defining the colors change, that is, the new cases are combined with the number of vaccines administered and the tests performed. The use of the maps will be mainly for informational purposes but will also serve to coordinate measures for areas with a particularly low (green) or particularly high (dark red) level of virus circulation. For these sectors, specific rules would apply as a derogation from the people-based approach.
The rules for traveling
For travelers from green areas, no restrictions should apply. Travel to and from dark red areas should instead be discouraged, given the high number of new infections present, and people who have not been vaccinated or cured of the virus should be forced to undergo pre-departure testing and quarantine. after arrival. To avoid divergent approaches – explained Reynders, the European Commissioner of Justice – “the Commission proposes a standard acceptance period of 9 months for vaccination certificates issued after the completion of the primary vaccination series. The 9-month period takes into account the ECDC guide on the administration of booster doses starting from 6 months and provides for an additional period of 3 months to ensure that national vaccination campaigns can adapt and citizens can access the boosters “.
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This means that, in the context of travel, Member States should not refuse a vaccination certificate issued less than 9 months after the last dose of the primary vaccination was administered. Member States should immediately take all necessary measures to ensure access to vaccination for those population groups whose previously issued vaccination certificates approach the 9-month limit.
Furthermore, from 1 March “all those vaccinated with sera who have been authorized by the European Commission and the EMA will be able to enter the European Union without additional restrictions”. This was announced by the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson. The European Commission then proposed to introduce “a time limit of 9 months for the acceptance of vaccination certificates after the primary vaccination cycle for travelers arriving from non-EU countries”. If confirmed by the EU Council, the expiration of vaccination certificates would enter into force on 10 January 2022 and would force those who completed their first vaccination 9 months before the trip to do the booster before entering the EU.