Double-jabbed Irish passport holders in the north will not be able to travel under the EU's Digital Covid Certificate scheme, it is expected to be confirmed.
The scheme, which is sending QR code certificates to residents of the Republic that will allow them to travel within the European Union from today, will not be offered to Irish citizens north of the border.
It had previously been suggested by Taoiseach Micheál Martin that northern Irish passport holders would be able to avail of the digital service that gives the green light for summer EU travel including holidays.
However according to the BBC, sources in Dublin are suggesting this was not likely to be the case as northerners would have received their vaccines outside of the Republic.
With no official state record available of northerners having been jabbed, it was expected to be confirmed last night that northerners hoping to travel under the digital vaccine "passport" service would face disappointment.
The Republic's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the matter was to be "kept under consideration" in the days ahead, however, there are plans for an "international travel app" that northerners can use, which Stormont's Department of Health has said could be available as soon as this week.
A Department of Health spokesperson said earlier this month that the app would provide "internationally recognised proof a person has had both vaccine doses".
Meanwhile, one more Covid-related death has been announced by health authorities in the north, taking the overall number of confirmed coronavirus fatalities to 2,162.
Yesterday also saw a further 537 cases of infection reported in the north while, in the Republic, although no further deaths were recorded, another 1,179 cases were identified.
That followed a total of 1,377 cases recorded in the south on Saturday - the highest daily tally in over five months.
