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'COVID passports' will no longer be compulsory for entry into hospitality, sports and entertainment premises from March 1 in the Comunidad Valenciana – the last-remaining region in Spain which is still using them.
Although 13 out of the 17 autonomously-governed regions opted to introduce them as mandatory from November, the requirement has been gradually axed, with Catalunya and the Balearic Islands the most recent to do so.
Only the east-coast region comprising the three provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellón has still been making entry to bars, restaurants, gyms, sports stadia, theatres and cinemas conditional upon sight of a 'Covid certificate' in the last few weeks.
These are, essentially, a vaccine certificate, with a QR code scanned by staff upon entrance, showing that the holder had been fully jabbed no more than nine months ago – but they can also be obtained as proof that the person has had and recovered from Covid within the past six months, or has a negative PRC or antigen test result taken less than 72 and 24 hours, respectively, beforehand.
Their original purpose was for ease of safe international travel rather than everyday leisure.
The four mainland regions which opted not to implement either a screen-based or paper-based 'Covid passport' as an entry requirement cited reasons ranging from fears of creating a false sense of safety to concerns about, in practical terms, forcing bar staff to become 'Covid police'.
Also, attempts at fraud have not always been picked up – a person who does not wish to be vaccinated downloading someone else's 'Covid certificate' to enable them to continue eating out.
With third or booster vaccine doses now well under way and widespread, and pressure on hospitals lessening, Comunidad Valenciana regional president Ximo Puig says he thinks the 'Covid passport' system, other than for travel abroad, will 'not be necessary' after March 1 – provided the pandemic situation continues to evolve favourably.
During an interview on the radio station Cadena Ser, ahead of the Goya Awards ceremony held at Valencia's Palau de les Arts opera house, Puig said: “If things keep going as they are now, where we've got a massively diminishing amount of contagion, if we're okay, then the general wish is for no restrictions to remain in place any longer than they are needed.
“I don't think the Covid passport will be necessary after March 1.”
Residents in, or anyone planning to travel to, the Comunidad Valenciana should monitor the situation closely, just in case contagion rates rise and the regional government considers it prudent to keep the 'Covid certificate' system in place after the end of February.
From Tuesday, February 8, the requirement to wear masks out of doors was lifted, other than in crowded areas where social distancing is not possible, open-air sports and concert arenas, densely-packed markets, and similar.
They are still mandatory in indoor public premises and on all transport except private cars.
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