Formerly communist Lithuania adopts passport system that discriminates against un-vaccinated citizens

(by Ashley Sadler | LifeSite News) – Lithuania, a historically Catholic Baltic nation which bucked Soviet oppression in the 1980s, has now effectively created a two-tiered society by requiring its citizens to show a government-issued COVID-19 health pass to participate in most aspects of society.

After joining the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) program in June, Lithuanian officials dropped the hammer on unvaccinated citizens last month by making the COVID-19 vaccine passport mandatory to access a slew of public and even private gatherings, events, and venues.

Beginning September 13, citizens who do not qualify for or do not use the EUDCC, or the locally issued “Freedom ID,” have been barred from “non-essential shops,” public indoor spaces, public gatherings, private parties, larger events, cafes, restaurants, shopping malls, beauty shops, and more.

The EUDCC, a digital document that can be checked via a QR code, is used to show proof of having obtained a full round of COVID-19 vaccinations, of having received a negative test result in the last 48 hours, or of having recently recovered from COVID. Lithuanians can also use a so-called “Freedom ID,” a locally issued document approved by the government in May to be used as a “health pass.”

According to a statement on the government’s official “Koronastop” website, “all contact services and economic activities shall be carried out and events organised (except for the established exceptions) only for persons who meet the criteria set by the National Certificate as the national covid pass. Only persons who can present a valid National Certificate shall be able to receive contact services.”

Putting additional strain on citizens, some employers have begun forcing their employees to show proof of vaccination, shoving unvaccinated workers into unpaid leave or forbidding them to work in-person.

In a lengthy article detailing Lithuania’s strict new mandates, Lithuanian resident Gluboco Lietuva explained that as an unvaccinated citizen he is prohibited from accessing most public spaces.

Lietuva also said that he and his wife were both suspended from their jobs without pay after their employers enacted policies requiring the health pass to go to work.

“We are allowed to return when we comply with the mandate to present a valid Covid Pass,” he wrote. Read Full Article >