New York launches its digital health passport

New Yorkers can now more easily access public places thanks to an app indicating whether they are vaccinated or if they have recently been tested for Covid-19.

The Excelsior pass: this is how the first American health passport was called, launched by New York City. Since Friday, March 26, residents can download an application (on iOS and Android) to save the results of a PCR test on their mobile, as well as a vaccination certificate. The software thus displays a QR Code allowing easier access to certain public places.

Optional tool

As the daily reports USA Today, some emblematic places in New York City already offer the use of this digital pass, such as Madison Square Garden, which reopened at the end of February with a capacity of 2,000 spectators (compared to the usual 20,000). The use of the application and the generated QR Code allow spectators and organizers to save time at the entrance, by scanning the latter with another mobile.

As the app is optional, those who do not wish to use it can choose to show only a simple PCR test result of less than 72 hours, a vaccination certificate, or a printed version of the QR Code. The app can also house antigen test results, for venues that choose to accept them to grant access to affected viewers.

When downloading the application, users are required to create an account by entering their identity and date of birth, then importing test results or a vaccination certificate offered by dedicated centers.

The American company IBM, which designed the application, assure that medical data is encrypted and that no third party can access it – not even their own teams. On its site, IBM specifies that its digital pass is intended for use in transport, in theaters, stadiums, or even in companies.

On a larger scale, the main challenge for the authorities is to harmonize these tools, so that users do not need to combine a multitude of applications on their mobile to access different places.

Such digital health passes have already been deployed abroad, especially in Israel where the vaccination of the population is much more advanced than in France. A European health pass should also be put in place in the coming months, this time for travel within the European Union. The tool could also be used in France for the reopening of shops and restaurants.

–