ARCHIVED - Andalusia becomes first Spanish region to start issuing European COVID Passports

Those aged over 65 in the Andalusia region who have been fully vaccinated will be the first to receive the new covid passports

The regional government of the Andalusia region, the Junta de Andalucía, has announced that it will begin to issue the European green vaccination certificate, or ‘COVID Passport’ from this Monday (May 7) onwards.

The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, made the announcement during the presentation of what will be the new hospital in Seville, a project into which the regional government has invested 11.5 million euros.

"Andalusians will be the 1st Europeans to have a vaccination certificate with European validation," said Moreno, indicating that the first to receive the certificates will be those aged over 65 who are now fully immunized, having been given two doses of Pfizer or Moderna.

The passport will be available from next week onwards for the remainder of the population who are fully immunized and can be accessed via the application of the regional health service and the health service webpage.

The Junta is also preparing two other cards; one for those who have officially recovered from coronavirus, which have a validity of six months from the date on which they were officially given the all-clear and another for a person who has given a negative PCR or antigen test which will be available for a period of one to three days in order to permit participation in a specific activity or to pass through international passport control.

The president explained that Andalusia is participating in the first European Commission pilot trial for the issuing of certificates, so residents of the region will be the first in Europe to be issued with the Covid passports.

The scheme will be expanded "progressively" during the next few weeks, and be available throughout the EU from July 1, the aim being to facilitate movement throughout the EU, although member states retain the right to impose additional entry requirements such as PCR tests or quarantines or restrict entry should they choose to do so.

Juanma Moreno also announced that half of all Andalusian residents will have been given at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this week and this week the region will pass the “two million immunized” marker.

As of Monday, 1,931,285 people are fully vaccinated in the region and 1,508,298 Andalusians have received one dose of the vaccine.

Image: Junta de Andalucía. Visit to the Macarena Cartuja hospital in Sevilla on Monday June 7.