NEW YORK BECOMES FIRST STATE TO LAUNCH DIGITAL COVID-19 VACCINE PASSPORT
New York Becomes the first state to officially launch IBM’s Digital COVID-19 vaccine passport. Before the launch, two successful pilot demonstrations were performed. Thousands of New Yorkers participated in a beta test for feedback on the new technology.
The digital passport will make it easier for businesses and venues to verify a customer’s vaccination or testing status before entering. It combines a smartphone wallet app for individual use and a scanner app for businesses. Users can link their vaccination records to the Excelsior Pass app. The app displays a QR code that businesses can scan. The QR code is available to print if necessary.
No one wants their personal business out there for everyone to see. Luckily, all information used by the Excelsior Pass is secured via blockchain and other encryption methods. They say no private health data will be stored in either app. People will also be required to show a second form of ID alongside the digital pass to verify the health data as their own.
“New Yorkers have proven they can follow public health guidance to beat back COVID, and the innovative Excelsior Pass is another tool in our new toolbox to fight the virus while allowing more sectors of the economy to reopen safely and keeping personal information secure,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
The digital passport was developed in hopes of helping businesses and major entertainment venues safely reopen. Major Ney York venues, including Madison Square Garden, which can hold up to 20,000 people, are already planning to utilize this technology. Excelsior Pass will expand to smaller venues beginning April 2. The technology is flexible and built to scale so other states can utilize the app in the future.
