Alex Trelinski
COVID-19 passports are set to be abolished in the Valencian Community by the end of February, according to Valencian president, Ximo Puig.
They are currently used for indoor access to hospitality and nightlife venues as well as places of entertainment and areas where food and drink are consumed indoors.
A COVID passport is also needed for people to visit patients in hospitals or residents of care homes.
Speaking this Wednesday, Ximo Puig said that the state of the pandemic meant that restrictions, which mainly involve a COVID passport, ‘must be lowered’.
He however urged ‘prudence’ since the pandemic ‘is still not over’.
Legal approval for COVID passports from the regional Superior Court expires on February 28.
There is nothing to stop Valencian authorities from ending passport use earlier if they want to.
Other regions of Spain that used the EU health certificate have largely scrapped it ahead of schedule as infection rates and hospitalisations tumble.
Ximo Puig said that a meeting will take place either next Monday or Tuesday to assess the situation.
In a weekend interview with Cadena Sur, Puig stated that he did not see it ‘as necessary’ to use COVID passports beyond the end of February so long as hospital cases continue to fall at the current rate.
Tuesday’s figures were the lowest since before Christmas with 1,033 people admitted to hospital with the coronavirus.
Just 123 cases are being treated in ICUs.
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