New EU deal paves the way for Covid-19 passes

The European Parliament and EU member states reached a key deal on Thursday paving the way for a Covid-19 certificate that will help open up travel in Europe for the key summer season.

“We have white smoke,” tweeted EU justice commissioner Didier Reynders after the end of a negotiating session between MEPs and diplomats from Portugal, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

The deal will allow for anybody living in the EU’s 27 countries to be able to get a digital health pass to display their vaccination status, results of Covid-19 tests or whether they have recovered from the disease.

‘Covid vaccines created nine new billionaires’

Profits from Covid-19 jabs have helped at least nine people become billionaires, a campaign group has said, calling for an end to pharmaceutical corporations’

“monopoly control” on vaccine technology. “Between them, the nine new billionaires have a combined net wealth of $19.3 billion, enough to fully vaccinate all people in low-income countries 1.3 times,” The People’s Vaccine Alliance said in a statement.

Jabs in Europe effective against variants: WHO

Covid-19 vaccines being deployed in Europe appear able to protect against all variants that are circulating and causing concern, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional director Hans Kluge has said.

Canada’s federal privacy commissioner along with his peers across all provinces have voiced concerns over the possible introduction of so-called “vaccine passports”, arguing that they may encroach upon civil liberties. Vaccine passports are travel passes that are being considered by several countries in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.