As Europe struggles over shots, Iceland acts

Iceland has issued its first vaccination certificates to ease international travel for those inoculated against COVID-19, authorities said on Tuesday, with countries of the European Union still haggling over using such documents.

All the 4,800 Icelanders who have received two doses of the vaccine are eligible for the digital certificates, said the health ministry, which has set up a website to handle their distribution.

“The aim to facilitate the movement of people between countries so that the individuals can show a vaccination certificate during border checks and be exempt from border restrictions,” the ministry said.

Iceland, which is not an EU member but is part of the bloc’s Schengen Area, intends to allow most Europeans bearing similar certificates to enter the country.

The Icelandic government now requires all arrivals into the country to undergo a PCR test upon arrival, followed by a 5-6 day quarantine and then a second screening at the end of this isolation period.

However, new rules mean that travelers who provide a COVID-19 vaccination certificate won’t need to undergo the screenings or quarantine.

Bickering neighbors

Brussels is still trying to find a consensus between member states about the certificates.

Greece backs the idea to boost its suffering tourism industry. But EU heavyweights France and Germany say it is still premature with so few people vaccinated and uncertainty about whether those who have been inoculated can still pass on the virus.

The European Commission said on Tuesday 11 member states have confirmed that they are using vaccination certificates for those who have had the jab, and seven more states intend to follow. For now, though, the documents do not enable free travel within the EU.

In mid-January, the World Health Organization’s emergency committee came out against certificates, for now.

Icelandic health authorities recognize it is not yet known if those who are infected after vaccination are less likely to transmit the virus or not.

Reykjavik, which has genetically sequenced all of its 6,000 positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, has enforced strict measures and last week reported only a handful of new infections among its 365,000 people.