ZAGREB, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Croatia on Tuesday started issuing European Union (EU) digital COVID-19 certificates that should allow cross-border travel within the 27-member bloc.
The certificate can be obtained by Croatian citizens who have already received a COVID-19 vaccine that is approved by the country's Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices; have a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test or rapid antigen test; or have recovered from the infection and 11 days have passed since the first positive PCR test.
The certificate is valid in 13 European countries that have agreed on its recognition, the public television HRT reported on Tuesday. The so-called COVID Passport will also be used in Croatia for other purposes.
Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Tuesday at a press conference that Croatia is among the most advanced EU countries regarding the digital certificate's technical implementation.
"We are the first country to start using this certificate at the state borders," Bozinovic said, adding that Germany, Italy and Denmark are also ready to start issuing the certificate.
The system should be implemented in all EU countries on July 1, and "our interest is to enable people to easily and quickly enter Croatia," Bozinovic said.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has recently said that the COVID-19 travel pass is important for his country as a tourist destination. Croatia largely relies on tourism that contributes almost 20 percent to its gross domestic product (GDP).
The number of new COVID-19 cases has been steadily declining here as more and more people get vaccinated. In the past 24 hours, 216 new infections and eight coronavirus-related deaths have been reported by the Croatian Institute of Public Health. Enditem