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Vaccine Passport Technology Demonstrated In Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 07: REVIV USA West Coast Operations Manager Kari Armamento uses a cell phone and an iPad to demonstrate the HELIIX Health Passport at REVIV at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on April 7, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The British health technology company's digital vaccine passport is a mobile app that uses an encrypted code to show the results of a recent COVID-19 test or vaccination using V-Health's VCode secure technology. The passport can be scanned from far away upon arrival at a venue or event requiring a vaccination passport or recent negative COVID-19 test to enter while keeping personal health data confidential. It was launched in Las Vegas to help safely bring attendees back to conventions, restaurants, and live music and sporting events. Companies can also personalize the technology to manage their workforces.
With COVID-19 hot spots and various complicated requirements, many pandemic-approved road trips and low-contact travels affected outdoor experiences. But in 2021, more people become eager to travel abroad.
What countries require proof of vaccination for travelers?
Although the COVID-19 vaccine offers the prospect of a "vaccination vacation" for summer travelers, laws and rules vary by country. The so-called COVID-19 vaccine passport, which would allow fully vaccinated individuals to travel and have other freedoms in some countries, is one of the most perplexing issues.
According to a recommendation by the European Commission, the European Union will ease restrictions on vaccinated US travelers by late June. "Member States should be allowed to approve credentials from non-EU countries depending on national legislation," the EU concedes in proposing a "Digital Green Certificate" vaccine passport.
Besides, the plan proposes establishing a platform where travelers can apply proof of vaccination or receive their own Digital Green Certificate. Although summer is nearing, this idea is quite a long way off.
After a digital EU summit on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a press conference that "everyone decided that we need a digital vaccination certificate," Newsweek via MSN reported. She went on to say that the technical foundation for such documents would take about three months for the EU Commission to make.
However, it appears that several European countries will adopt this policy. The EU proposal notes that a vaccine card or certification might be sufficient evidence, so store it safely.
Right now, there is a list of countries that are available to vaccinated travelers. The following nations are on the list, as reported by the US State Department website and news outlets, as per Newsweek:
- Belize
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Ecuador
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Iceland
- Montenegro
- Nepal
- Republic of Georgia
- Seychelles
- Tahiti
- The Bahamas
Read Also: Boris Johnson Struggles to Bring Vaccine Passport Plan Through Parliament
Companies announced making digital app of proof of vaccination
Several organizations, including an airport security firm dubbed "Clear," have also announced the creation of digital apps that will enable travelers to check their vaccination status. Apart from understanding the names of these applications, such as CommonPass and Health Pass, nothing is known about how they will function.
"After you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, simply connect to your healthcare account to check your vaccine history in a safe, verifiable, and privacy-preserving way," said Clear's website. Despite its convenience, keeping track of the various networks and pharmacies that distribute vaccinations can be difficult with only an app.
Following the lifting of the international travel ban in the United Kingdom, the National Health Service app will be available on Monday. The application can use as a COVID-19 vaccine passport, the government said to BBC. However, the United Kingdom government's website said, "Not all nations still allow proof of vaccination, but for the time being, most people will also need to follow other guidelines while traveling abroad-like having a negative pre-departure test."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa Tuesday that Americans will most likely be required to provide proof of vaccination after the border reopens. "As people start to travel again, it would make sense for us to align with allies worldwide for a kind of proof of vaccination, perhaps this summer if all goes well . On this, we are structured with allies, particularly in Europe, "Trudeau said, as per Buffalo News.
Trudeau is doing so amid the United States' opposition to the idea of "vaccine passports." President Joe Biden stated that his government would not issue such passports and would instead depend on private companies. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US-Canadian border has been closed for 14 months, and Trudeau has said that Canada will not reopen anytime soon.
Related Article: Biden Administration Works on Unified Vaccine Passport, Critics Call It 'Un-American'
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