Abstract:

The global epidemic situation related to the prevailing COVID-19 disease has forced governments to introduce restrictions, including those related to movement (domestic and cross-border), in order to prevent further escalation of coronavirus infections. Currently, the number of vaccinated people is increasing, thereby reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is an incentive to loosen the current restrictions. The answer to this issue may be the introduction by the European Union of the “digital COVID certification” system certifying that a citizen is vaccinated, recovered from COVID 19 or that he/she has a negative test result for coronavirus presence. This system allows citizens, among others, to travel more freely within the EU, but the certificate is merely available in digitized form. Therefore, there is a justified need to introduce ameliorations to the current shape of the system, in order to consider the mobility needs of all citizens, including those who are not digital-ready, which is the aim of this study. It brings a simple yet efficient proposition of alterations to the current system, giving the digitally excluded people the possibility of easier than currently use of the COVID Certificate benefits.