Given that vaccination coverage with at least the 1st dose of the vaccine has reached 81.1 % of the adult population, while the percentage of fully vaccinated adults is 78.4 %, the Ministry of Health has proceeded with a reassessment of the requirements for issuing a SafePass.
A review of the databases showed that around 11,000 people have been vaccinated with the 1st dose, but have not followed-up with vaccination with the 2nd dose. Vaccination with only one dose, according to scientific data, offers lower coverage and is not equally effective in protecting against virus mutations.
Therefore, amendments to the conditions for issuing a SafePass for vaccination were deemed necessary. By decision of the Council of Ministers, as of 18 October, a SafePass will be issued only for fully vaccinated individuals (vaccination with both doses of the vaccine or with the Janssen single-dose vaccine).
Therefore, citizens who have received the 1st dose of the vaccine and the time required for the 2nd dose has elapsed (3 weeks for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, 4 weeks for the Moderna vaccine and 8 weeks for the AstraZeneca vaccine), are urged to proceed with their vaccination at walk-in vaccination centres, operating island wide, by 17 October.
Those individuals who do not wish to take the 2nd dose, for SafePass purposes, should have a negative PCR or rapid antigen test result, valid for 72 hours, from October 18th onwards. Individuals who will not complete their vaccination regimen, after the time required between their 1st and 2nd dose, will have to carry out a PCR or rapid antigen test at their own expense in private pharmacies or clinical laboratories.
The above arrangements will be included in a Decree to be issued in the coming days.
Finally, it is clarified that the requirements for issuing a SafePass with a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 in the last 6 months and with a negative test certificate (PCR or rapid antigen test) valid for 72 hours are not affected and continue to apply as before.