European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gestures during a press conference following a college meeting to introduce draft legislation on a common EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium March 17, 2021. Jo
Doha: Visitors who have been fully vaccinated with approved vaccines against Covid-19 will be able to visit the European Union over the summer, the head of the bloc’s executive body said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said Sunday in an interview with The Times in Brussels that “because one thing is clear: All 27 member states will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by E.M.A.”.
The agency, the bloc’s drugs regulator, has approved vaccines Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson.
“von der Leyen did not offer a timeline on when exactly tourist travel might open up or details on how it would occur. But her comments are a top-level statement that the current travel restrictions are set to change on the basis of vaccination certificates,” New York Times reported.
Qatar has also administered Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to its citizens and residents.
In the interview the EU head didn’t specify the countries which will be allowed but was talking in the context of Americans who are vaccinated.
Many travel and airline bodies has been lobbying governments for opening up travel for vaccinated people to restart the economical activities which has become dormant due to Covid-19 pandemic.
