New York state's Excelsior Pass was introduced in March 2021 as the first government-issued vaccine passport in the United States. It is accessible, for the time being, merely to vaccinated individuals in New York. 

Officials expect the vaccine passport to help New Yorkers feel confident regarding the safety of businesses and jump-start a statewide economy that is grappling with losses during the pandemic.

The Excelsior Pass offers secure, digital evidence of novel coronavirus inoculation or negative test results. The pass is only accepted in NY.

1M New York COVID-19 Vaccine Passports

Over one million Excelsior Pass have been installed onto computers and phones since the platform was established in March 2021. Approximately 1.1 million Excelsior passes have been released as of the previous week since the beginning of the voluntary program in March, reported The Hill.

To reel from the losses brought about by the pandemic, officials will need more individuals and businesses to begin using vaccine passports. Vaccine passports also need to become more universally accepted. A vaccine passport is basically just a QR code on a phone that indicates an individual's vaccine status. Vaccine passports, more generally, have become a political flashpoint among conservatives and other people who remark that passports contravene privacy concerns, reported The New York Times.

Entertainment venues could scan and validate the pass to ensure a person meets any COVID-19 vaccination or testing requirements for entry. Upon using the pass, you will be asked to display a photo ID that shows your name and birth date to verify your identification, reported the Official Website of the City of New York.

Read Also: New York COVID-19 Positivity Rate Lowers After Incentives Announced for Vaccinated People

The number of passes remains much lower than the over 10.7 million New Yorkers who have been vaccinated. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) declared the Excelsior Pass as "another tool in our toolbox" to combat the prevalence of the coronavirus while also allowing other areas of the economy to reopen safely.

Will New York Vaccine Passports Catch On?

As of now, an estimated 9.1 million New Yorkers have been fully vaccinated. Officials are optimistic that the pass will catch on a broader scope.

The New York vaccine passport could digitally store data on a smartphone using the Excelsior Pass Wallet app. This is available for free download from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The pass could also be printed from the Excelsior Pass website to be carried around.  

For inter-island travel, Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D), in April, approved a vaccine passport program. This went into effect in May, enabling Hawaii residents to travel between islands without undergoing pre-travel testing or mandatory self-isolation.

Some Republican governors prohibit public institutions from necessitating proof of vaccination. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in May signed executive orders banning vaccine passports in their states. 

Related Article: New York to Grant Full-Ride College Scholarships as COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive, Weekly Drawings Every Wednesday