Germany Starts Roll-Out of Digital COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates - Health Minister

BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th June, 2021) Germany is starting giving out digital certificates of vaccination against COVID-19, German Health Minister Jens Spahn announced on Thursday.

The roll-out of the system will begin this week, Spahn said at a briefing in Berlin, emphasizing that "the important thing is: step by step."

German vaccination centers, medical practices and pharmacies are gradually being connected to the system and the roll-out should be completed within the next few weeks.

The digital certificate will allow people who have received shots to prove their vaccination via a smartphone. Starting from next month, the German digital certificate will be valid for cross-border travel.

On Tuesday, the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said that over a million EU citizens had received digital certificates since the system was launched in test mode on June 1.

The commissioner said that some member countries had started issuing these certificates in the pilot version, adding that everything was being done to guarantee the smooth functioning of the system across the bloc. In addition, Europe is discussing the possibility of implementing this system with other nations.

Digital certificates serve as proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, recovered from the disease, or tested negative for it. The EU system will officially begin to function on July 1, the certificates will be valid for 12 months.