The health authorities are considering the use of vaccine certificates for mass events to be held once the rules on public gatherings are lifted in the coming months.

Health Minister Chris Fearne made the announcement on Thursday during a press conference unveiling the timeline for the easing of measures in the coming weeks.

Fearne had already announced on Saturday that by the end of May, the authorities would be issuing a certificate to those who have been fully vaccinated.

A legal notice published on Friday indicates Malta's vaccination certificates will only be used for travel outside the European economic zone.

But speaking about the certificates on Thursday, the health minister hinted the certificates could also come in handy locally.

"We are holding internal talks to see whether we can use the vaccine certificate for other activities. A sports event, for instance, might require this certificate for entry," he said, although he also pointed out that mass events were unlikely to be permitted to take place anytime soon.

The EU is currently discussing plans to introduce so-called digital green certificates that will be recognised across all member states. It has set itself a June target for doing so. MEPs gave the plans the green light in recent weeks.

Unlike the certificate issued by the Maltese authorities, which will only include details on whether a person has been vaccinated, the EU one would also include information on tests and previous COVID-19 infections.

The Maltese certificate will be issued by the Superintendence of Public Health 14 days after a person's second vaccine dose and will be available in either print or digital format.

It will only be valid for six months, reflecting ongoing uncertainty about how long COVID-19 vaccines provide immunity for.

Fearne again confirmed that anyone flying to Malta must present either a negative test result or proof of vaccination. For now, those travelling to the island without either of these two documents are tested upon arrival. This procedure is however set to change in the coming weeks with travellers forced to present either a vaccine certificate or a negative result before boarding a plane or a ship to the island.

Times of Malta reported in April that a third of arrivals coming to Malta in recent months have had to be tested upon arrival because they failed to present test results or vaccine certificates despite this being mandatory.

 

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