COVID-19 passport is still under debate until today but it offers users different benefits like proving to anyone or anywhere inside and outside the country that they already received the vaccine.
What is COVID-19 Passport
The U.S. federal government has already issued a card that tracks those who already received the COVID-19 vaccine. The card indicated when the first shot was given and when the second shot must be received, according to a published article in the Los Angeles Times.
As the rollout of the vaccine progresses, there is now a proposal to release and use an app called COVID-19 Passport. This will be a turning point in the country where a resident in the country can prove that he or she has already received the vaccine.
COVID-19 passport is a digital documentation with a QR code that will quickly help authorities to determine if the person has already received his first or second shots, according to a recently published article in CNET.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information on a Digital Passport Now Ongoing for Future Travels
How Will the COVID-19 Passport Benefit the Residents in the Country?
Having a COVID-19 passport offers different benefits to its holders. This will help those who have already received the vaccine to travel and go to different places once the restrictions will start to ease.
This will be a person's proof that he has already received the shot once the COVID-19 becomes a mandate. This includes going to public places like gyms, restaurants, theatres, and more. The purpose of this is to ensure the owner of the facility that their guests are not carrying the virus.
Meantime, the COVID-19 passport is still under debate due to some concerns like data privacy. In a recently published article in The New York Times, creating a digital certificate like a COVID-19 passport is one of the issues today in the country.
COVID-19 Vaccine Passport Being Readied by Giant Tech to Help the Country Return to Normal
Some Roadblocks to COVID-19 Passport
Despite the benefits and advantages that COVID-19 passports offer, some remain skeptical about the new digital certificate. There are residents and groups in the country who opposed the COVID-19 passport.
Terminology is one of the problems. A passport is a document issued by a country that certifies personal information such as a person's legal name and date of birth. Many citizens are concerned that if they are forced to get one linked to the coronavirus, they would be giving private corporations confidential and valuable health details that may be hacked or used for other purposes.
Brian Behlendorf, executive director of Linux Foundation Public Health, said "The concept of privacy here is complicated because you are ultimately trying to prove to somebody that you received something."
However, the Linux Foundation is working with different technology companies called COVID-19 Credentials Initiative to develop a set of standards that will ensure privacy inside the COVID-19 passport.
Lastly, others are concerned that an all-digital infrastructure would leave certain populations behind, including those without smartphones or internet access.
