In addition to holidays abroad, there is also hope for full houses in the cinema and theater, casino, well-attended festivals, fairs and conferences. If all goes well, it will all be possible again soon. Step by step, the outgoing cabinet will reopen society. That is good news for entrepreneurs. Still, there are objections to reopening society. Anyone who has completed the vaccination will still have to deal with the temporary introduction of compulsory entry tests because this is the easiest way to remove the lock and wait for the vaccination passport. There seems wide support base for a corona passport to be entered.

temporary test society

Is the temporary test society a first step towards more freedom or a first step towards the 'old normal, where testing is customary when you want to come together in the same room? The corona passport can provide more freedoms in the slightly longer term. But when will the corona passport be available? Society rightly calls for there to be no discrimination between vaccinated or unvaccinated people. But what about the people who do not wish to receive any vaccination at all? Until the introduction of the corona passport, tests should provide a solution. 

We must all guard against the fact that the Dutch 'remain behind' in society without a vaccine. In countries like Israel, those who do not want to vaccinate themselves are left behind, according to Netanyahu. The Israeli government will not mandate vaccination, but legislation was underway that would require unvaccinated people to be tested every two days if they come into contact with the public at work. The criticism was fierce. Protesters accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of 'dictatorship' and 'medical oppression'.

corona passport

The Dutch must have various options to prove that they are not infected with the corona virus and therefore the risk is very small that they will infect others. This is possible, for example, with a recent negative test result, proof of immunity, if you have just been cured from COVID-19 or a vaccination certificate that shows that you have had at least 1 shot against corona. The cabinet wants to bring all this possible evidence together in the so-called corona passport. That passport must be available in digital and paper form, with QR code. 

Entrepreneurs need a scanning device and the right software. You may even be able to scan with an app on your smartphone. The Ministry of Health is not providing any clarity on this at the moment: "We are now first working out all the technical and legal aspects behind this plan," said spokesman Axel Dees. The Social Economic Council (SER) advises to use the corona passport in busy places where access control is normal. You can think of cinemas, theatres, stadiums and museums, but also fairs and conferences. However, the government can decide otherwise.

The corona passport is already there in Israel. More than 40% of the population has had 2 vaccinations and therefore now has access to cultural activities, sports competitions, hotels and gyms with the passport. And also to busy shops and restaurants. 

pros and cons

Entrepreneurs in Israel cite advantages and disadvantages of the passport. They are happy with the growing number of customers. But they see that this is still much less than before the corona pandemic. They also regularly have to act as enforcers because they often have to explain to customers that most corona measures still apply. Most customers are elderly, as it is also the elderly who were vaccinated first in Israel. The passport provides freedoms, but also inequality. While half of the population is back at restaurants and concerts, the other half is at home. “Those who don't get themselves vaccinated will be left behind,” said Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein. But not everyone agrees. According to the demonstrators The introduction of the 'green badge' leads to a worrying division in society: between a privileged vaccinated class and a lower class that has not yet been vaccinated or is strongly opposed to vaccination. 

Also read: From July, consumers will pay for an access test

COVID-19 - self test
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