THE HAGUE - The Dutch government will investigate whether residents of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom can also use the "digital green certificate" that is being developed in a European context. The "vaccination passport" with which citizens can demonstrate that they have been vaccinated, tested or recovered is intended to restart international travel.
Recently, the Dutch Minister of Health Hugo De Jonge and the Minister of Justice Ferdinand Grapperhaus announced in a letter to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament that the cabinet is in favor of the introduction of a European COVID status certificate on the condition that it does not discriminate or lead to compulsory vaccination.
The Digital Green Certificate
The Digital Green Certificate (DGC) can be used to: a) demonstrate that the holder has been vaccinated (vaccination certificate); b) demonstrate the result and date of a NAAT (molecular nucleic acid amplification) or rapid antigen test (test certificate); or c) Confirm that the container has recovered from COVID-19 contamination following a positive NAAT or RAT rapid antigen test (recovery certificate). These certificates can be issued automatically or at the request of a person and must be free of charge. In addition, certificates must be able to be issued in both digital and paper form and must be presented at least in English and the official language of the Member State of issue. The regulation also requires the establishment and maintenance of a trust framework built by the Commission and Member States that allows a certificate to be issued and verified securely without sharing further data during verification.
Vaccination certificates should indicate whether or not a person has completed the full vaccination cycle. The certificates may be issued for vaccinations approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or by relevant national authorities. The certificates may also be issued for a vaccine that is authorized on the basis of an emergency exemption and for a vaccine that is on the WHO list.