Sweden will receive a vaccination card on 1 Dec.
People are enjoying the sunshine by the sea in Stockholm on June 1, 2021. From June 1, Sweden has begun the first steps to ease the country’s covid-19 restrictions, which means that restaurants can open longer and public events can accommodate more people. (Photo by Wei Xuechao / Xinhua)
Sweden will introduce a COVID-19 vaccination pass on December 1 for public indoor events for more than 100 people, as cases are increasing in large parts of Europe, the government said on Wednesday.
With relatively low infection rates, Sweden on November 1 removed the requirement that fully vaccinated people with symptoms should be tested for covid-19, but the government said that it is now revoking that decision after criticism.
Minister of Health Lena Hallengren said that Sweden is expected to see an increase in the number of cases during the winter and that Sweden is not isolated from the rest of the world.
The vaccination card will be required for people over the age of 16 or 18 – the government has not yet decided – at events such as concerts, theaters and sporting events, but not at restaurants and bars.
Organizers who do not require the passport will be subject to other strict restrictions on audience numbers and social distancing.
In the early phases of the pandemic, Sweden stood out by not introducing a lockdown and only recommending the use of face masks in certain situations where congestion was inevitable.
The country relied instead on non-coercive recommendations, although some restrictions were imposed.
AFP