GENEVA, Aug 17 — Switzerland will no longer be issuing and verifying COVID-19 vaccination certificates starting Sept 1 under the system implemented within the European Union (EU) in June 2021, the Federal Council of Switzerland said Wednesday, reported Sputnik.
“The system for issuing and verifying COVID-19 certificates will be discontinued at the end of August 2023. The federal department of Home Affairs informed the Federal Council at its meeting on Aug 16, 2023, that the corresponding ordinance will not be extended. This decision is against the background of the expiration of the legal basis for the EU digital COVID certificate (EU DCC) that has expired at the end of June 2023,” the council said in a statement on its website.
The COVID-19 vaccination certificate, developed together with the EU, was launched in Switzerland in June 2021. It aimed to provide “reliable and internationally recognised” proof of vaccination, recovery or negative testing for coronavirus, the statement said.
“However, only a few countries still require proof of vaccination, recovery or testing upon entry. That is why the EU decided on June 27, 2023, not to extend the EU DCC legal framework any further,” the council said.
The authorities added that the stable epidemiological situation has also contributed to the decision to abolish vaccination certificates to facilitate travel, the statement read.
