Lithuania mulls tightening rules for COVID-19 immunity certificates

Lithuania is considering tightening the rules for issuing COVID-19 immunity certificates, the country's Health Minister Arunas Dulkys said here on Monday, reported Xinhua.

The government may make such certificates, or the so-called "opportunity passports," mandatory for children older than 12, local media reported. Such certificates are currently required for those older than 16 only, Lithuania's chief epidemiologist Loreta Asokliene told the Baltic News Service (BNS).

However, for now the country's government has no plans to authorize the COVID-19 vaccination of children under the age of 12 pending further recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the national experts.

The daily infection number has been around four times higher than last November across the country. If the situation gets worse, a national lockdown could be introduced, but for a short period of time only, Asokliene said.