Ireland to issue EU Digital Covid Certificates next week

Ireland will start issuing EU Digital Covid Certificates next week after it was heavily criticised for failing to do so earlier. The certificates went online across the EU on July 1.

The certificates will be either emailed or posted to 1.8 million Irish citizens with both doses of a Covid vaccine next week and a national call centre will be established to assist with any inquiries.

If a person was vaccinated after registering with the Health Service Executive portal, they will receive their documentation through email. People who were vaccinated at a doctor’s clinic or a pharmacy, will receive a letter in the post.

But the government said there may be “teething problems” with the implementation of the certificates.

“I am sure there will be some people who don’t get their certificates on time, so we’ll have a call centre in place to help people out if that happens,” Leo Varadkar, the deputy head of government, told RTE news.

The aim of the EU Digital COVID Certificate is to facilitate safe and free movement in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. All Europeans have the right to free movement, also without the certificate, but the certificate will facilitate travel, helping to exempt holders from restrictions such as quarantine.

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