“Travelling to Become Easier for Vaccinated in a Few Weeks”, Kulhánek Promises

Vaccinated Czechs will be able to travel to a number of countries without submitting a coronavirus test or being quarantined, avowed Jakub Kulhánek, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with CNN Prima News.

He also explained how the pilot system, which Kulhánek wants to implement with some states as quickly as possible, will work.

“In the first phase, we want to set up a pilot project, in which we will agree with our neighbors, such as Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, but also Germany, that our fellow citizens who are already vaccinated will be able to travel freely in neighboring countries,” Kulhánek said.

According to the minister, the pilot project should be launched within a few weeks. The EU-wide COVID passport is due to be valid from July 1^st, but Kulhánek wants vaccinated Czechs to be able to travel before the holidays.

A certificate of vaccination will suffice when traveling to neighboring countries under the project. Confirmation with a QR-code should be obtained after receiving the second dose of the vaccine; it will substitute the obligation to undergo a test or be quarantined.

Another goal the minister wants to pursue is an agreement on travel with states outside the European Union, like Turkey or Egypt. “I spoke with my Turkish counterpart. We discussed the possibility to open up a limited number of popular resorts for Czechs to travel to, with the Turkish side guaranteeing increased safety measures,” the government official explained.

“I want Czechs to enjoy this summer the way they used to,” Kulhánek summed up.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš stressed on Tuesday that vaccination will bring great benefits to people. “We are already preparing to conclude an agreement with six states. We will appeal to them so that all those who are vaccinated do not have any obligations at all – like undergoing testing and so on,” the Prime Minister said.

He added that he counted on the opening of registration for vaccination for all Czechs over 16 years on June 1^st. „We are in rush. Vaccines are coming, the centers must inoculate quickly,” Babiš stressed.