A lot has changed since last year and a lot may be required
and implemented along the way. As we continue to navigate and find our way
around the pandemic and subsequently around the world, it has become imperative
that we stay aware and make responsible choices in our day-to-day lives.
However, that does not mean that we need to curb our desire to travel and to
see the world yet another year. Here’s the good news. Thanks to the vaccines,
travel is starting to look up again and we couldn’t be happier. Here's even
better news. To keep the world as safe as possible, many destinations,
airlines, restaurants, arenas, etc. are all requiring travelers to show proof
of having been vaccinated or of having tested negative for Covid-19 in the form
of a Vaccine Passport.
What is a Vaccine Passport?
A vaccine passport, these days, is a digital application
storing individual health records, sometimes generating a QR code, to
conveniently show as quick proof at venues, airports, destinations, and beyond.
There are several such platforms out there. You may need to
use one, or a combination of these applications depending on where you are
planning to head, and how you are planning to reach there.
Clear, which is already a popular application to
sail through airport security using biometrics, has gone on to develop a health
pass equipped to store lab results, health surveys, and soon vaccine
certificates as well. With access to more than 30,000 labs, the app makes it
relatively easy to pull out an individual's health records. An in-app selfie is
required to verify an individual's identity. Health Pass is currently being
used at many venues like corporate offices, restaurants owned by Danny Meyer,
and sports arenas like the AT&T Center, etc. While the Health Pass is free,
if you are 18 and older, you are required to register with Clear to access it.
Clear ensures that users' privacy is of utmost importance and their data is
safe and protected.
Created in partnership between several groups
including The Commons Project and The World Economic Forum, The CommonPass will
be able to access your lab results, any health declarations, and soon your
vaccination records from existing health data systems, national or local health
registries, and personal digital health records. On evaluation, the app will
generate a simple "yes" or "no" certificate along with a QR
code depending on the health screening requirements of the destination they want
to enter. This means that the traveler is only required to show the QR code to
be granted permission to enter and no other underlying personal health data
needs to be revealed. Various destinations and airlines, like Aruba and the
United Airlines and Cathay Pacific have partnered with CommonPass.
Excelsior Pass is a state-specific pass built
with IBM's digital Health Pass Solution and is used in New York City. So
instead of providing health records and proof of vaccination out of state, the
pass is used to gain access to venues like restaurants, concerts, sports arenas
like Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, and Yankee Stadium, and at
personal events like weddings and receptions. The Pass allows individuals to
pull up health and vaccination records from New York State websites and then
generates a QR code which can be scanned from the app or printed from the
official Excelsior Pass website. The digital platform does not intend to store,
track, or share any underlying personal health information. Your data is
respected and protected.
In order to manage and mitigate any current
health risk with respect to Covid-19, the International Air Transport
Association developed the IATA pass. It has become especially popular with
airlines. Labs can securely send test results and vaccination records to the
customers on the app which can then be verified against the entry regulations
of the intended destination. No sensitive data is stored on the central
database. It is currently under the trial process, so if your airline has
signed up to participate in the trial, you will be able to use the application.
Airlines like Qantas, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Air New
Zealand has already signed up for the trial.
- United Travel Ready Center
This pass is exclusive to United Airlines
flights and lets the passengers upload test results and vaccination records
which are then verified to match the specific requirements depending on the
trip they have booked. A United employee will be reviewing the submitted
records and only then will a passenger be cleared for check-in allowing them to
pull up their boarding passes ahead of arriving at the airport. The platform
can also be used to book tests making it a one-stop platform.
Many airlines like American Airlines and British
Airways have incorporated the app in their regulatory system. Passengers can
use the app to access their negative test results. Vaccination records have not
yet been included in the platform. An easy-to-use application, all it requires
is for passengers to create an account and upload a selfie for identity
verification and the app will then effectively walk you through a checklist of
health and regulatory requirements. A QR code is then generated which can be
shown at a kiosk or to a staff member to be permitted to travel.
These applications will continue to evolve as the
requirements with respect to Covid-19 keep changing. More and more venues,
airlines, and destinations will be choosing to partner with one or more digital
vaccine passport platforms. Knowledge is power, so stay informed of these
applications and where they can be used to continue to travel and experience
the world safely. After all, we are all in this together, right?
Happy Travels!
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