The (digital) vaccination certificate – is Romania getting back to the (new) normal?

How is the vaccination sequence regulated in Romania?

In Romania, vaccination against COVID-19 is free and voluntary and is carried out in three phases:

Phase 1:

The population group includes employees in healthcare services as well as social workers from the public and private system.

Phase 2:

It includes the endangered population and employees who carry out activities in important, essential areas, for example,

employees who are active in the national defence institutions, public law and order, national security and justice, bailiffs, interpreters and translators authorised by the Ministry of Justice, lawyers registered in the bar association.

Phase 3 (planned to begin April 2021):

includes the general population.

Approximately 1,800,000 vaccine doses have been administered in Romania to date.

Should there be special rights for "vaccinated persons" in Romania?

There is no initiative at all regarding the admissibility of granting exceptions to vaccinated persons. The decision makers and the people are currently categorically rejecting such an exception. There is no legal basis for ensuring that private access restrictions can be set out for unvaccinated persons.

Is the (digital) vaccination certificate coming to Romania?

The vaccination certificate is viewed sceptically in Romania, even though the willingness to be vaccinated is very high among the population. President Klaus Iohannis expressed personal reservations against the idea and stressed that “this would create a framework for discrimination that is simply unacceptable.” The vaccination certificate should only be used for medical reasons; any other use is not recommended. This view is currently represented unanimously by decision makers. There are currently no relevant opposing voices in politics and science that support the introduction of such a vaccine certificate.