Thought of the Day - April 29 2021 - Vaccine Passports

Whether you refer to them as "vaccine passports", "immunity passports", "COVID-19 certificates", "corona passes" or some other euphemism containing the word green, with vaccinations apace in many countries, and the tourist industry champing at the bit, these are a hot topic. We last talked about immunity passports over a month ago ( Thought of the Day - March 18 -Immunity Passports ). While little is new here in Canada, a lot has been happening around the world as countries, jurisdictions and companies position themselves for the "great reopening".

Some country-based passports include:

• Denmark - introduced their "Coronapas" vaccine passport domestically based on their secure digital ID system called NemID.

• EU - today the EU parliament has approved its COVID-19 passport know as "Digital Green Certificates".

• Israel - implemented its "Green Pass" some months ago. However, foreign nationals cannot get hold of the pass, nor can vaccinated citizens who are not insured with an Israeli healthcare provider.

Here is a summary of the latest information concerning countries accepting vaccine certifications (as Canada does not have a position we are not on the list):

• Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Lebanon, Libya, Kuwait, Thailand – Testing and quarantine still required but the length of quarantine is reduced with proof of vaccine.

• Antigua&Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Estonia, Guatemala, Laos, Lithuania, Maldives, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Tajikistan – No quarantine or test required with proof of vaccine.

• Bangladesh – No quarantine required with proof of the second dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine.

• Barbados, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Lebanon, Libya, Poland, Seychelles, Yemen – Vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to quarantine.

• Bermuda – Pre-arrival COVID test is needed, vaccination card, travel authorization, test on arrival (quarantine until results are known – about 24 hours) and then can move around.

• Croatia, Mali, Panama – No test required with proof of vaccine.

• Cyprus – UK and Israeli travellers exempt from testing and quarantine with proof of vaccine.

• Ecuador – Exempt from testing with proof of two-dose vaccine.

• Grenada – Persons providing proof of full vaccination will only be required to quarantine for up to 48 hours, pending a negative result from a PCR test administered on entry.

• Iceland – Pre-approval of vaccine proof allows you in. Testing still required and quarantine upon entry required until results come back.

• Israel – Passengers with Israeli vaccination or proof of COVID recovery, exempt from quarantine.

• Portugal – Crew are exempt from testing and quarantine with proof of vaccine.

• Qatar – Individuals who have been vaccinated in Qatar are exempt from quarantine.

• Slovak Republic – Travelers from the EU and Schengen region are not required to test or quarantine.

• St. Bart’s – Open for vaccinated travellers, with special approval arrangements through their accommodations (hotel or villa).

Trudeau said at the beginning of the week that vaccine passports are 'to be expected' but Canada is not ready to 'set terms yet'. The only development I have seen recently is a report from the Canada Standards Association (CSA) saying that "vaccine passports" are not simple to implement, largely as we haven't defined what we are certifying and how they will be used.

They cite a number of considerations that include:

• Vaccine efficacy

• Duration of protection

• Options for those who can't be vaccinated

• Ethical and social concerns

• Data standardization

• Privacy

• Fraud prevention

Early on I was of the opinion that Canada should not lead the pack concerning the introduction of "immunity passports" but that was a year ago when the implications of vaccines and immunity were first being thought through. Here we are a year later and we cannot even articulate advice for those Canadian's that are now "fully vaccinated". I am now worried, although lead countries have already managed to implement their solution, we might not yet even have a preliminary plan. One thing I do know is that the bit of paper I was given last week at London Drugs ain't gonna' cut it.

Cheers

Cliff