Omicron divides Europe over plan to simplify travel rules

The omicron variant of Covid-19 is scrambling the European Union’s plans to simplify its travel rules, particularly as some countries move ahead with new unilateral restrictions. EU governments are split over a plan to shift the rules to base them on a person’s vaccination status rather than on case levels in a particular country, with some countries asking for a delay to better understand the impact of the new variant, according to an diplomat familiar with talks. One of the EU’s largest members suggested pushing off discussions until January, the official said. As those talks continue, Italy announced Tuesday it would require Covid tests for all visitors, including vaccinated people from other EU countries, starting on Thursday. The change is likely to frustrate some EU countries and further harm the airline and travel industries. A senior EU official acknowledged that Italy’s decision undercuts the objectives of the digital Covid certificate the EU introduced to facilitate travel inside the bloc. “These individual decisions of the states will decrease the trust of the people that there will be equal conditions everywhere in Europe,” EU vice president for values Vera Jourova said Tuesday, adding the move will be discussed when EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday. She added that member states insisted on a “back door” to impose additional unilateral restrictions on travel as long as it’s based on the epidemiological situation.<br/>