COVID-19: vaccine cert plan for NI's international travellers
Last updated 20th May 2021
Robin Swann has revealed plans to introduce a bespoke vaccine travel certificate for Northern Ireland
The Health Minister was speaking to Downtown Radio & Cool FM ahead of today's Stormont Executive meeting which is expected to address international travel
He told us this certificate would be available soon for those intending to go abroad
“One of the short-term measures that we do hope to be able to produce in the next number of weeks will be a paper certificate that we would be able to produce in the interim measure as well for those who do need it for international travel but also in the long term for those who don’t have access to a digital solution either,” he said
“We are currently working as part of the UK four nations so there will actually be a vaccination or certification app that will work across the entirety of the UK but one that will also be recognised internationally as well.”
Mr Swann did say, though, that he would prefer people from Northern Ireland would stay at home this summer while the pandemic continues.
In Great Britain, there is a “green list'' of destinations which includes Portugal, Gibraltar, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Iceland and the Faroe Islands - plus several small remote islands which are British Overseas Territories.
Travellers returning from a country or territory on that list will not need to quarantine, and will only be required to take one post-arrival coronavirus test.
Passengers arriving from amber list countries are required to self-isolate for 10 days and take two tests.
No decisions have yet been made around international travel in Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, indoor hospitality and being able to meet inside private homes for the first time in five months are among the measures that had been announced with an indicative date of May 24.
The Executive will review these previously announced decisions on Thursday.
These include allowing up to six people from no more than two households to meet in a private dwelling and stay overnight, as well as outdoor gatherings with no more than 500 people and the reopening of all tourism accommodation.
Indoor hospitality with table service only was also given an indicative reopening date of May 24, as well as the return of indoor group exercise and the reopening of indoor visitor and cultural attractions, such as museums, galleries, cinemas, indoor play areas, bowling alleys, amusement arcades, bingo halls and libraries.