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Digital Immunization Passport
and Other Developing Protocols
Another informative installment in our Global Rebound 2021 Series, the Bilateral Chamber is pleased to offer insight on the development of a globally-accepted Digital “Covid-19 immunization/testing documentation” passport and other innovative protocols being implemented by airports and airlines around the world to facilitate safe travel.
We will continue to
provide our members with relevant, timely information to help you
navigate through these unprecedented times as the global community looks
optimistically forward to the resumption of international air travel.
If you have any
questions or would like to share helpful resources, please feel free to
contact us at info@bilateralchamber.org.
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COVID Data Tracker (Per CDC)
U.S. Data As of March 1, 2021
Cases Reported - 28,405,925
Total Vaccines Administered - 76,899,987
Deaths Reported - 511,839
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Global Percentage Change in Cases Reported in Past 7 Days
Source: 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Global
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IATA: Travel Pass Initiative
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To
re-open borders without quarantine and restart aviation governments
need to be confident that they are effectively mitigating the risk of
importing COVID-19. This means having accurate information on
passengers’ COVID-19 health status.
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Informing passengers on what tests, vaccines and other and
vaccination results in a verifiable, safe and privacy-protecting manner
is the key to giving confidence to open borders. To
address this challenge, IATA is working on launching the IATA Travel Pass, a digital platform for passengers, to provide solutions to these difficult challenges.
New York Times: Coming Soon: The ‘Vaccine Passport’
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In the near future, travel may require digital documentation showing that passengers have been vaccinated or tested for the coronavirus. Among governments and those in the travel industry, a new term has entered the vocabulary: vaccine passport.
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Travel Pulse: The Race To Create a Global Digital COVID-19 Passport Is On
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The global travel industry seems to be in agreement that a secure, electronic documentation system for verifying travelers’ ID information (like a traditional passport) and linked to their COVID-19 test results and vaccination records, will be key to restarting international travel on any meaningful level.
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The Washington Post: Covid-19 Passports Aim to Streamline Travel Requirements. But There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Fix
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International
travel declined by around 90 percent after the pandemic hit — but those
still crossing borders may have begun to encounter a novel concept: “covid-19 passports,” or a mobile platform that proves a traveler meets a country’s requirements, such as a negative coronavirus test or, in a few cases, having received the coronavirus vaccine.
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Also
called health passports, these are not official documents granted by
governments; rather, they are digital passes issued by apps, and
accepted by some companies and countries, which have arisen to meet
demands by airlines and governments that travelers have a negative
coronavirus status. Instead of showing paper-based proof of a test or
vaccination card at an airport — which could either be forged, lost or
arbitrarily rejected without a streamlined process — a traveler would be
able to store and certify their information via their phone.
CNA: WHO Looks at E-certificates for COVID-19 Vaccination
The World Health Organization said it was considering introducing electronic vaccination certificates.
"We are looking very closely into the use of technology in this
COVID-19 response and one of them is how can we work with members states
towards something called an e-vaccination certificate," WHO Europe
expert Siddhartha Datta told an online press briefing.
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| United States and Canada |
CBS: United Launches "Travel Ready Center" so Passengers Can Get COVID-19 Test at Airport
United Airlines is now the first U.S. airline to offer passengers access to in-airport coronavirus testing.
The rollout is a streamlined way for passengers to book a ticket,
schedule a test and upload the results on the company's app, in what
travel experts say could be the "new normal" of travel.
Fox News: Hawaii Developing Coronavirus Vaccine Passports to Make Travel Easier
Hawaii is reportedly developing a program that could allow anyone who is fully vaccinated to visit the island state without quarantining.
People who have received
their full dose of a coronavirus vaccine will be given an electronic code -- a vaccine passport
--, which allows them to travel between islands, according to Hawaii
News Now. This vaccine passport is expected to roll out to essential
workers who are fully vaccinated first, Lt. Gov. Josh Green told the
station. That could be as early as March 1.
Forbes: What You Need To Know About Canada’s New Border Travel Restrictions
Having recently announced new strict mandatory COVID-19 testing for all travelers entering Canada by air, the Canadian government is now introducing mandatory testing at all land borders.
The press release states that: “Canada has some of the strictest travel
and border measures in the world, including a mandatory 14-day
quarantine for everyone returning to the country.
Skift: Why Air Canada Is Leaning Into a Covid Testing Mandate as Other Airlines Balk
Air Canada is lobbying hard for mandatory Covid-19 testing for air travelers
to and in its namesake country, even as its peers in the U.S. balk at a
similar proposal from the new Biden administration. Air Canada has put
its money where its mouth is and is finalizing an order for rapid tests
from pharmaceutical firm Abbott to administer to customers and staff.
And it has also partnered with pharmacy chains to offer travelers
pre-departure testing before flights.
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| MENA/Eastern Mediterranean |
Arab News: Bahrain Launches Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Passport
Bahrain has launched a digital COVID-19 vaccine passport,
one of the first countries to do so, the Gulf state’s media office said
on Wednesday (February 17). Governments and developers around the world
are exploring how certificates and passports could help to reopen
economies by identifying those protected against COVID-19.
Bahrain’s ‘BeAware’ app
displays a green shield alongside an official certificate detailing the
person’s name, date of birth, nationality and which vaccine was
received.
Arab News: Emirates to Digitally Verify Passengers’ COVID-19 Medical Records
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Emirates has signed an agreement with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to digitally verify passengers’ medical records, as part of the UAE’s efforts to revive the travel industry following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The IT systems of
DHA-approved laboratories will be linked with Emirates’ reservations and
check-in systems so the airline can verify passengers’ health information related to COVID-19 infection, testing and vaccination.
Arabian Business: UAE Capital Abu Dhabi Updates Travel 'Green List' as Coronavirus Restrictions Ease
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) has updated its Green List, allowing visitors from China and Australia, among others, quarantine-free entry to the UAE capital.
Effective Tuesday
(February 23), passengers from countries on the Green List will be
exempt from mandatory quarantine measures after landing in Abu Dhabi and
will only be required to undergo PCR testing upon arrival at the
emirate’s airport.
Arab News: Saudi Arabia Launches ‘Health Passport’ for COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients
Saudi Arabia
has launched a digital “health passport,” available through the
Ministry of Health’s Tawakkalna app. The ‘passport’ will contain a
registry of an individual’s vaccination against the coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) and confirmation that the individual is immune to the virus,
it was announced at a press conference on Thursday.
Jewish News: Israel Lifts Covid Restrictions as ‘Green Passport’ System Introduced
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Israel
lifted coronavirus lockdown restrictions this week with its “green
passport” system showing those vaccinated against Covid-19 allowing even
indoor facilities such as gyms to reopen. |
Vaccine passports are being actively considered by leaders in England and Scotland and all eyes are on the Israeli model following its rapid rollout of jabs meaning that more than half of its population has now received at least one dose.
Qatar
Airways: Targets Becoming the First Airline in the Middle East to Trial
the IATA Travel Pass COVID-19 ‘Digital Passport’ Mobile App
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Qatar Airways targets becoming the first
airline in the Middle East to begin trialling the innovative new IATA
Travel Pass ‘Digital Passport’ mobile app, in partnership with the
International Air Transport Association (IATA), from March 2021.
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The trial will play an important role in the airline's vision to have a more contactless, secure and seamless travel experience for its passengers.
The
first phase of trials of the ‘Digital Passport’ will be rolled out on
the airline’s Doha to Istanbul route, enabling passengers to receive
COVID-19 test results and verify they are eligible to undertake their
journey. It will also allow travellers to safely and securely share
their verified 'OK to Travel’ status with the airline and other
stakeholders, even before their arrival at the airport.
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| United Kingdom/European Union |
Travel and Leisure: The UK Is Proposing a Standardized Vaccine Passport for
Future Travel
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The United Kingdom plans to push for an internationally-recognized vaccine passport in an effort to get travel off the ground again in the coming months.
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The UK will use its presidency of the G7 to tout the concept, which in theory would allow international travel to resume. The government would look to create "a clear international framework with standards that provide consistency for passengers and industry alike," according to a document released this month outlining the country's pandemic-related plans.
Forbes: Vaccination Passports: Deals Made For Free Flow Of Travel Between EU Countries For Summer 2021
Many EU/Schengen area countries, such as Greece, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland are working on getting vaccination passports up and running. In Poland, people will download a QR code to their mobile phone from a centralized health website to take with them on their travels, and in Denmark, they will open an application, which will act like a second passport.
Fox News: Sweden to Launch Digital Coronavirus 'Vaccine Passport' to Allow Travel
The Swedish government on Thursday, February 4, said it will be launching a digital coronavirus "vaccine passport" to allow people who have been vaccinated to travel.
Digitalization Minister
Anders Ygeman said three authorities in Sweden had been asked to work on
producing the certificate, and the plan is to coordinate it with the World Health Organization and the European Union.
Simple Flying: Lufthansa To Trial Health Passports On Select Routes
Lufthansa has set up the Lufthansa Group Health Entry Support Center to verify negative COVID-19 test results before travel.
As early as 72 hours before their flight, passengers will be able to
submit a negative COVID-19 test certificate to the airline via an online
portal.
AP: Denmark to Develop Digital Passport Proving Vaccinations
Denmark’s government said Wednesday, February 3, it is joining forces with businesses to develop a digital passport
that would show whether people have been vaccinated against the
coronavirus, allowing them to travel and help ease restrictions on
public life.
The Local: Spain to Add Covid-19 Vaccine Passport to Travel Corridor Scheme
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Spain's Tourism Minister has announced that Covid vaccination certificates or passports will form part of the safe travel corridor scheme her government is preparing to allow the reopening of international tourism.
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| Africa |
Simple Flying: Rwandair Will Be The First African Airline To Use IATA’s Health Passport
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Rwandair is set to become the first African airline to use IATA’s Travel Pass health passport.
In April,
the airline is set to launch the app for a three-week trial
on one
short-haul route. It comes after other airlines continue to seek
health
passport solutions.
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Simple Flying: Health Passports: The Future Of Travel?
Health passports
are something we had hardly heard of a year ago; now everyone is
talking about them. Some form of passport or proof of health status is
likely to be a lasting legacy of the pandemic. Put simply, a health
passport is a trusted document that confirms the holder’s status
concerning certain diseases.
Town & Country: Will a Covid-19 "Vaccination Passport" Finally Allow You to Travel Without Tests or Quarantines?
The dream is a digital health passport
that would announce to the world that we have been vaccinated against
Covid-19 and are therefore good to go—something we could brandish to
board planes and cruise ships, cross borders, check into hotels, and be
exempted, as well, perhaps, from tests and quarantines.
Call them what you will—"Covid certificates," "immunity passports," "digital health passports," "freedom passes"—they have quickly become (before they have even been developed) the Holy Grail of the age of Covid.
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India/South Asia and APACv
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Reuters: Thailand Says Nears Vaccine Passport, Hopes to Welcome Tourists in Third Quarter
Thai authorities are preparing a plan to ease restrictions for travellers vaccinated against the coronavirus, senior officials said on Wednesday, as the country looks to revive a tourism industry battered by travel curbs.
Measures for vaccinated
visitors would be introduced step-by-step and could include shortening
the mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from two weeks to three days
for those vaccinated, or waiving it entirely, Tourism Authority of
Thailand Governor (TAT) Yuthasak Supasorn said.
The Straits Times: Air New Zealand to Trial Digital Covid-19 'Vaccination Passport'
Air New Zealand will trial a digital travel pass to give airlines and border authorities access to passenger health information, including their Covid-19 vaccination status, the carrier said on Monday (Feb 22).
The Star: Vaccine Passport Offers Hope
As Covid-19 vaccinations start to roll out in many countries, including Malaysia which will start soon, talk of a “vaccine passport”
is gaining pace… Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents
(MATTA) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said a vaccine passport or
certificate could be a good start for the travel industry in the short
to medium term.
Eco-Business: Coronavirus Vaccine Passports: What You Need to Know
Governments and
developers around the world are exploring how certificates and passports
could help to reopen economies by identifying those protected against
Covid-19. With the novel coronavirus, the proposed certificates would
attest one of three things: that the holder has been vaccinated, has
tested negative for the virus or has recovered from it. Their use could
allow governments to lift some pandemic-induced restrictions, allowing
people to travel in planes, attend concerts, go to work or dine out,
supporters say.
And in India, everyone who has been vaccinated will get a QR code-based electronic certificate, the health ministry has said.
ABS CBN News: Philippines Senate Moves to Replace 'Vaccine Passport' with 'COVID-19 Vaccine Card'
The Philippine Senate
has adopted to replace the controversial terminology, “vaccine
passport”, with “COVID-19 vaccine card”. “This is a way that… tourism
and travel, even essential travel, can be implemented because this will
again give confidence to people that it is safe for them to move around;
there are also private companies who are building these passports,
certificates, cards for the very same reason” Senator Pia Cayetano
explained.
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| Latin/South America |
Aerospace Technology: Copa Airlines and Panama Participate in IATA Travel Pass Trial
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The Government of Republic of Panama and Copa Airlines are taking part in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) IATA Travel Pass trial.
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IATA Travel Pass is a digital platform for passengers to help them store and manage their verified certifications
for Covid-19 tests or vaccines. IATA Travel Pass mobile application
incorporates a global registry of health requirements, global registry
of testing / vaccination centres, lab app, and contactless travel app to
manage travel documentation digitally.
Business Travel News: Latam Partners with Labs for Passenger Covid-19 Tests
Latam Airlines Group is offering its passengers discounted Covid-19 testing via partnerships with laboratories across its destination network, the carrier announced. The services are available in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and the United States. The offering is a part of the group's recent update to its Covid-19 protocols.
Aviation
Pros: Jamaica International Airport Selects TPT Global’s 'QuikLAB'
COVID-19 Testing, Monitoring, Vaccination App and 'QuikPASS' Check and
Verify Passport Platform
Jamaica International Airport
recently announced it has partnered with TPT Global Tech Inc. ("TPTW or
the Company") and its subsidiary TPT MedTech's to deploy its "QuikLAB"
and "QuikPASS" technology platforms as the "Check and Verify" Passport
systems for all travelers in and out of the country of Jamaica.
Dominican Today: American Airlines Introduces Health Passport on International Flights
American Airlines with the Verifly health passport seeks to expedite travel to the United States. Initially, it was implemented for Chile. It expanded its coverage to Colombia, Jamaica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. As of Saturday, January 23, it will be available for trips from all international destinations.
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Thank You to our President's Circle
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