Iceland Opens Borders to Vaccinated Travellers as IATA Praises COVID-19 Travel Pass Pilot Programme

The island nation is one of several European countries that has effectively controlled the COVID-19 pandemic inside its borders, the report said, adding it had allowed vaccinated and previously infected travellers from the European Union in recent months.

Iceland has reopened to travellers vaccinated against COVID-19, allowing them to avoid quarantines on arrival and pre-flight testing, Simple Flying reported on Thursday.

Travellers entering the country must have received one of four jabs approved by the European Medical Agency (EMA) – Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.

Others previously infected with COVID-19 with antibodies can also avoid lengthy pandemic protocols, the report added.

According to Simple Flying, Iceland reported 29 deaths and 6,089 cases and used testing procedures at border checks.

IATA Welcomes Travel Pass Trial

The news comes just after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced London Heathrow Airport had received its first traveller on the IATA Travel Pass app.

The new app allows travellers to manage their health credentials, including vaccine certificates, and had been tested with Singapore Airlines. Travellers can also enter their flight details to learn travel restrictions and requirements.

Such digital health credentials will be “essential” as borders open and travel restrictions ease globally, JoAnn Tan, acting senior vice president of marketing and planning for Singapore Airlines said.

The success of the pilot programme was a “big win” for the industry and revealed governments could effectively manage travel requirements “with complete confidence”, Tan concluded.

Sourse: sputniknews.com