Thursday, March 28

Euskadi, against the current: extends the COVID passport and extends it to more establishments


After insisting on its withdrawal and even having considered it unofficially written off, the Basque Country will not only extend until February 13, at least, the COVID passport requirement to access certain premises, but will also extend it to hotels, tourist accommodation and meeting rooms. play. The Basque authorities swim against the tide after having reneged on this measure in the autumn and, when it has begun to withdraw in Cantabria or Catalonia and when it has become evidence that non-compliance is very widespread, it now proposes reinforcing it. Last week, the Minister of Health, Gotzone Sagardui, highlighted its usefulness as an incentive to promote vaccinations. She now appeals to the consensus in the Interterritorial Council to defend it for longer.

Daily admissions in the Basque Country are once again above one hundred and the incidence of COVID-19 rises to seven days

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The COVID passport was established on the bridge of the Constitution after it was authorized in the Supreme Court following the initial veto of the High Court of Justice of the Basque Country. At first, it was requested at nightlife from 10:00 p.m. and in restaurants with more than 50 capacity diners. Later it was extended to the entire hotel industry, to closed sporting or cultural events – the Justice prohibited it for open ones -, to gyms and sports centers and to visits to hospitals, prisons or residences. This second block expired on January 31, while the first is indefinite as long as the cumulative incidence rate exceeds 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days (now there are more than 3,000). The new requirements will mean a third extension.

The Basque Government must obtain judicial authorization from the Superior to maintain the second block and for the new establishments. Already for that second decree, the contentious-administrative chamber gave the go-ahead given the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court and it is the confidence that is now maintained for the third phase of this measure. Executive sources indicate that the referral will be made this Friday morning and the deadline for Justice to resolve is estimated at 72 hours, counting Saturday and Sunday. Otherwise, it could happen that after midnight on Monday there would be a few hours of legal limbo.

The lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, opened the door to his withdrawal this Wednesday in a statement to journalists, although it is equally true that there has never been a definitive confirmation. Of course, it is a possibility that had been analyzed internally in depth. This Thursday, in addition, he had anticipated that other measures related to time reduction or capacity reduction would remain in force beyond the weekend, without details on how the COVID passport would look.

In reality, the entire management of this tool has been surrounded by ups and downs. Initially, the Basque Country stood firm against it, since it considered that it was designed to travel safely between European countries and not to control access to leisure. In addition, he highlighted the problems -which have since become evident- of putting the control of health documents in the hands of individuals. However, in a matter of hours, in mid-November he made it the only measure with the then incipient wave. After the Superior’s veto, and again changing political criteria, he appealed to the Supreme Court, won and launched on the December long weekend together with the announcement of an extension. However, day-to-day experience shows that many of the places required to request it do not do so and that the document review mechanisms are not entirely reliable.





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