The Economist explains

Where will you need a covid passport?

Proof of vaccination or recovery from infection is increasingly being demanded, not just for international travel but also within countries

Editorial note (August 9th 2021): this article is being updated as countries announce new requirements

IMMUNITY PASSPORTS are nothing new. The World Health Organisation’s International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, commonly known as the Yellow Card, was first issued in 1951. It is still used today by travellers who need to show that they have been vaccinated against diseases from yellow fever to rubella. Some countries also require schoolchildren to be vaccinated against certain infectious diseases. Many countries now see both vaccines and documents proving who has had them as essential to the safe reopening of economies after the pandemic. But what exactly is a “covid passport”?

Although the word “passport” implies that these documents will be required for international travel, most are for domestic use. Dozens of countries now require digital health certificates for access to certain services. These commonly use a scannable file which can verify the holder’s identity and whether they have built up immunity to covid-19 through vaccination or recovery from infection. Some systems include negative test results or medical exemptions as alternatives. (Paper versions should also be available to those without smartphones.) These passes are intended to make congregating safer and in some cases also to spur people to get jabbed. Many people see their use as a short-term inconvenience that will allow them more freedom. But critics argue that they threaten civil liberties. Concerns include the leaking or misuse of data, and resentment about the pressure to get vaccinated or share medical information.

French law will require a “health pass” be shown for access to most public spaces from August 9th. Italy’s Green pass is now needed to enter the indoor sections of restaurants, and bars as well as archaeological sites, gyms, theatres and indoor swimming pools. China has a QR-code system on an app which categorises people according to their health, and a new digital certificate that stores vaccination records. America’s federal government says it has no plans to introduce a covid app, and anyway the country lacks a national health registry to support one. New York City plans to introduce a requirement for vaccines in many indoor venues—including bars, restaurants, gyms and Broadway theatres—in August and will start enforcing those rules in September. Locals could use New York state’s Excelsior pass as digital proof of a vaccination, one of four state initiatives launched so far. But at least 19 other states have passed laws banning covid passports. England intends to require visitors to high-risk venues, such as nightclubs, to show their NHS COVID Pass from late September, by which time all adults will have been offered a jab. Doing so before this has happened, say critics, would create discrimination. And making their use obligatory is ethically questionable, especially for as long as vaccines have been authorised only for emergency use. Countries are finding that they want covid passports even after many people have been vaccinated. Israel’s Green Pass was introduced in February 2021, phased out in June as cases fell, then reinstated in late July for large events. That was prompted by the spread of the Delta variant, even though nearly all adults had been vaccinated.

Travel is becoming easier for those who are vaccinated than those who are not. In many states, quarantine requirements for incoming travellers vary depending on immunity (through vaccination or previous infection). A handful, including Anguilla and French Polynesia, have made inoculation a condition of entry for tourists. Other countries, including France and Spain, insist that travellers arriving from certain places are vaccinated. When America officially announces its plans to reopen borders expect it to demand that all foreigners are vaccinated. Such policies are likely to expand. But a lack of standardisation makes proving your status complicated. The EU’s Digital Covid Certificate, or EUDCC, should ease travel for 446m people within the bloc. But travellers from outside must hope that their own digital passports or paper certificates will be accepted. Britons will find their apps accepted in some, but not all, EU countries. And Britain has yet to approve the EU’s version. Governments cannot even agree on which vaccines are effective enough for international travel. Concerns about the efficacy of Chinese-, Indian- and Russian-made vaccines mean they may not open all border gates. IATA, an airline association, is one of a handful of non-governmental organisations to have created passes it hopes will be used worldwide. Fraud is also an issue: many countries have a black market for false certificates. Covid passports, like regular ones, must be trusted and readable anywhere. Until a single system can be agreed on their use will remain limited.

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