Covid vaccine passports: Everything we know so far

Italy, Iceland, Greece and Spain now allow or are opening their borders to people who’ve been vaccinated or who recently tested negative for Covid-19. The European Union is considering allowing to more vaccinated tourists, including vaccinated visitors from the U.S.

The question is: How will individuals prove their vaccine or Covid status?

As of Wednesday, almost half of the total U.S. population had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose. New Covid infections in the country continue to drop. As of Thursday, the seven-day average of daily new Covid infections is at its lowest level since June 22, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

That trend is helping people return pre-pandemic activities — from concerts to indoor dining to live sporting events and even international travel. Vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or physically distance indoors or out, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month.

Retailers like Walmart and Costco and hotel chains including Hyatt dropped their mask requirements for vaccinated customers this month, unless it’s required in local rules. U.S. officials have said they are largely relying on people being honest about their vaccine status, and retailers and hotel chains have said they don’t plan to check for a proof of a vaccine.

Officials in charge of overseeing international travel require more than the honor system. Federal officials require U.S.-bound international travelers, including U.S. citizens, to show proof of a negative Covid test result to board flights.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security said DHS officials don’t check passengers’ Covid test results upon entry but that rather, that is up to the airlines.

As airlines like United, Delta and American ramp up trans-Atlantic service, they are encouraging travelers to upload health documents online.

The travel industry has urged the Biden administration to create a set of standards for digital health credentials in an effort to lift travel restrictions that have devastated demand for leisure and business trips abroad for more than a year. The administration has said it will leave the task of developing digital health credentials up to the private sector. Federal officials also said they don’t intend to keep a database of vaccination records; that will be left to states.

Enter digital health apps. Sometimes referred to as vaccine passports, several of these platforms are already in development and with some in use, including partnerships with airlines and local governments.

Here is where things stand on vaccine passports in the U.S.:

Digital health passports — also called vaccine passports — are platforms for smartphones that allow access to an individual’s health data, such as Covid test results or vaccination status. Israel and Denmark have already made platforms available and other countries are working on their own.

When individuals are vaccinated in the U.S., they are given proof in the form of a CDC-issued card. Airlines, which don’t want staff to have another piece of traveler information to check, are eyeing digitized versions that could easily be scanned.

There are several platforms already out there. IBM has developed New York State’s Excelsior Pass, which was tested at a New York Nets game in February. The app uses blockchain to communicate with state vaccination records or with health providers. The display shows a simple go or no-go sign, not the actual test result.

Willie Walsh, former CEO of British Airways’ parent International Consolidated Airlines Group, and current director-general of IATA, has said he doesn’t want proof of vaccines to become a permanent fixture.