Viewpoint: Covid passport debate

The Canary Islands and Galicia already request a full vaccination schedule or a negative test to be able to enter hospitality establishments in municipalities or regions with a high infection rate but not all regions are on board.

For example, the idea has been ruled out by the Catalan government to avoid “harming” those who have not yet received the vaccine.

And the President of Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig, does not believe it is the right time to request a certificate until everybody is vaccinated in the region.

The Minister of Health, Carolina Daria, has already asked about the possibility of using the EU digital certificate as a health pass but there are fears that unless a decisions is taken at a national level, the situation could become extremely confusing and frustrating for the general public, especially when travelling around Spain. Which regions will require a health pass and which will not?

With regards to waiting until the country is fully vaccinated, that is going to be sooner rather than later in Spain, apart from those who do not believe in the vaccine - but they will be the losers in the long term once a health pass does come into force. I think it’s only a question of when, not if.