Sweden: proof of vaccination to attend public events

photo: liu.se

The Swedish Government intends to proceed with the proposal to allow the use of vaccination certificates at public gatherings and public functions from December 1.

The aim is to limit the spread of the Corona virus among unvaccinated people in particular by preventing them from gathering in large groups, while public gatherings and public functions can continue to receive visitors.

Because the current government is a caretaker government, support for the measure will be sought in the parliament (Riksdag).

“The pandemic is not over and in our part of the world the virus is now spreading. The negative trend is worrying, even though we have not yet seen a similar development in Sweden. The Government and the Public Health Agency of Sweden therefore see a need to be able to use vaccination certificates as a disease control measure to limit the chains of infection,” says Minister for Health and Social Affairs Lena Hallengren.

The government has today received a request from the Public Health Authority of Sweden, which sees the need for access to vaccination certificates as a disease control measure.

In September, the government referred a proposal to ease the restrictions that apply to an event if the organiser can guarantee that the participants are vaccinated by requiring them to present a vaccination certificate showing that they are fully vaccinated, i.e., the vaccination component of the EU’s digital COVID certificate.

This means that if the organiser chooses to require a vaccination certificate, they do not have to adhere to the attendance limits that the Public Health Agency of Sweden deems necessary for public gatherings and functions.

According to the Public Health Agency of Sweden, this applies to events held indoors with more than 100 participants.

“It is a priority of the Government to provide opportunities to promote culture, sport and other important events and gatherings. Now that we see that the situation is in danger of getting worse, we intend to proceed directly with the proposal for vaccination certificates that has already been prepared, so as to enable organisers of cultural and sporting events to continue their activities,” says Minister of Culture and Democracy Amanda Lind.

Swedish Government