Spain: Catalonia lifts mandatory COVID-19 health pass provision for daily affairs

On Friday, January 28, 2022, in the native place of Spain, Catalan health authorities have declared that they are dropping out one provision related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The provision which mandates to show the health pass while getting entry in the various public spaces such as restaurants, bars etc., has been lifted in Catalan.

The decision came after the expert suggested that the provision is not halting the infection related to the new strain of COVID-19 called Omicron in the northeastern region.

As per the committee of experts asserted that the Omicron variant has surged in Catalonia and explained that the large population is being infected by the variant whether they are vaccinated or not or already have been exposed to the virus.

“The compulsory use of the certificate of the novel coronavirus is not much effective and reduced to the extra level of security”, it added.

In late November, the government has mandated the requirement of health passes to access public places. Now, the provision will be removed from Catalonia, the region of 7.7 million population, from Friday, January 28, 2022. The native place becomes the second region to lift the restriction in the country.

Catalonia has made the decision after the northern region of Cantabria health authorities have to scale over the restriction to show the vaccine pass and considered the measure as ineffective in helping to reduce the infection of the Omicron variant during the sixth wave of Spain.

Moreover, the government of Asturias also specified that there is no need to show the COVID-19 passport to get entry in public, and the rule will be lifted from January 28, 2022, Friday.

Further, the other regions in Spain also decided to remove the following provision. It is also exclaimed that the COVID-19 health pass for daily affairs could be extended in the other regions of the country.