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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he believes vaccine passports will be available to be carried on phones by October, after discussion with world leaders at last month’s G7 summit.
“We already have vaccine certificates [in Australia],” PM Morrison said on Wednesday.
“Later in the year, about October we estimate, we will have a vaccination certificate that will be able to be … internationally recognised to facilitate when people are moving out of the country and into the country.
“Being able to recognise others’ certificates, that is something that has been a common feature of the conversations I have been having with other leaders.”
While there are a number of systems in development, the most notable has been IATA’s, with Qatar this month expanding its trial of the technology.
Under the new trial phase, cabin crew will be able to upload both their COVID-19 vaccination credentials and their COVID-19 test results to the IATA Travel Pass Mobile App, which will verify whether or not they are eligible to travel.
On arrival in Doha, crew will then be able to safely and securely share their vaccination certificate and proceed through immigration at the airport.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said, “Despite the significant challenges the pandemic has caused international aviation, our industry has continued to be a leader in adopting new technologies and innovations to ensure a safe, secure and seamless travel experience for our passengers.
“Certificates of COVID-19 vaccination or testing status will be key to restoring people’s freedom to travel.”
For months, airlines and airports have encouraged the use of digital health credential systems, largely QR codes and phone apps, to verify whether or not travellers have been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative, or have recently recovered from the virus.
The news follows recent concerns that the verification of digital health records should be completed before arriving at the airport, in order to prevent extensive queues at airports.
In recent weeks, Europe has been gearing up to issue European Union Digital COVID Certificates (EUDCC), formally referred to as the EU Digital Green Certificate, across 17 bloc countries.
The certificate serves essentially as a digital vaccine passport, and is due to come into effect from 1 July.
Closer to home, South Australia also recently confirmed it would host the two-week trial of home quarantine for vaccinated arrivals into the country.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the state would now set up a plan and timeframe of when the trial of home quarantine will come together.
“I think this is an important development,” said PM Morrison at the time. “That will be a transparent project with all the other states and territories.”
The new plans will see all arrivals declare their vaccination status when they land through COVID declaration cards.
“Obviously, those who are vaccinated have a much lower risk of infection than those who are not vaccinated,” the PM added.
There will also be a “strong preference” to only allow people to leave Australia if they have been vaccinated themselves.
“That reduces the risk both to them personally, because as we know COVID is through many countries around the world and many other places Australians will travel to, and that, of course, reduces the risk when they return to Australia,” PM Morrison said.
“For those who are unable for medical reasons to receive a vaccination or at this point in the cycle they may not have access to a vaccination, these are issues that will be taken into account by the border force commissioner in considering those arrangements.”
James
says:This is absolutely abhorrent.
The prime minister should be ashamed of himself.
If 5e vaccine does not prevent transmission, then there is no need to make it mandatory, or blackmailing citizens into having it.
What a disgrace this country has become.
Gabrielle
says:What about people who are already naturally immune? And already have T-cell immunity? Are you going to force people to get this vaccine who are naturally immune? Astrazenca causes blood clots even though only in a small % percent of people. Still the Australian government is only giving Astrazenca to those under 40 as an option (not Pfizer) where they are forced to risk their health with a blood clot factor, in order just to travel. This is certainly a crime against humanity. Pfizer should be part of their choice. It’s a person’s liberal right to travel to whatever country they wish without being stabbed in the arm with something that could have a chance of killing them, even though small. And that person could have already been immune naturally. How is that fair? People should be tested for T cell immunity instead, not forced to get an injection.
Willard Joseph
says:Morrison playing God again what about our Civil Liberty and human rights
Concerned Pilot
says:Imagine still believing this was still about a virus. Governments have sold out their nations to foreign banking interests due to debt. This is outright Treason, and was never about a virus. This is them using the cover of ‘a pandemic’ to force onto the people of the world their new slavery system. This is NAZI Germany level human rights violations.
John Lowe
says:I think that the prime minister ( note: the lack of capitalisation is deliberate) who is in the over fifty demographic & chose a pfizer vaccine while insisting that same demographic accept astra zeneca (under what advice & when advised?) has once again shown his true colours & can no longer be trusted by the regular people.You have lost my vote pm Morrison.