Alex Trelinski
PLANS to use COVID-19 passports in Basque Country nightlife businesses and larger restaurants have been squashed by the region’s Supreme Court.
The judges, on two-one split decision, ruled that the Basque government request restricted basic rights.
The region has a coronavirus infection rate of 300 per 100,000 people but the figure was half that when the proposal was lodged before the court.
The government wanted all nightlife venues like clubs and bars activities to only let people in if they showed an EU COVID-19 certificate.
The temporary law would also have affected all restaurants that seated over 50 people as well as function halls.
Other regions like Valencia are putting passport proposals together but are wary of not upsetting judges by going too far.
The Basque court said the submission involved the ‘restriction of fundamental rights’.
It was concerned that the right to assemble was being infringed especially with the looming Christmas holiday.
The rules would have included karaoke bars and the judgement said that ‘freedoms of expression’ and ‘artistic creativity’ would be hindered.
The bench pointed to the high vaccination rate and said a main source of increasing COVID cases involved children aged under 12 who would hardly be expected to go to nightlife venues.
Image Credit: Cordon Press
READ MORE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VALENCIA REGION PLANS FOR COVID-19 PASSPORTS
