Do We Need A Global Covid Passport?

Ticketmaster has been forced to deny allegations that they are planning to force fans to prove they have had a vaccine or recent negative test result for Covid-19 before attending a music concert or other large ticketed event. Although Ticketmaster confirmed that they have no intention of mandating this type of testing policy, they admitted that the idea had been under consideration.

Here's how it would work:

• After purchasing a ticket, fans would need to verify they had been vaccinated (offering one year of protection) or had tested negative for coronavirus 24 to 72 hours before a concert or sporting event.
• Test results would be delivered to a health pass company, such as CLEAR or IBM, at fans' request, who would pass the information to Ticketmaster.
• If they are negative or vaccinated, Ticketmaster would issue digital tickets via their app.
• If a fan tested positive or did not verify vaccination they would not be allowed access to the event.
• Ticketmaster would never have access to medical records, and would only receive verification of whether a fan is cleared to attend an event on a given date.

I would call this a Covid passport. I would also argue that we should not restrict the idea to Ticketmaster shows - the company has said that even if they launched the project, they could not force their system on every venue or promoter. It's clear that a more generic, simple, and global system is needed. This would allow the promoters of events to control if they want to allow audience members to attend or not.

It could be organised nationally, but ideally the UN would propose a simple format for a Covid passport that everyone in any country can have access to. Only health professionals would be able to update the status and it would only contain very little information:

• Identification - how to prove that this result is mine
• Last test date
• Test result
• Vaccination date/status

Why is this important? We have seen positive news about the Pfizer vaccine recently, but it is not yet out of the woods. Stage 3 test results look good, but it has not yet been approved for use. Pfizer has warned that they might only be able to manufacture 10-15 million doses this year even if approval is imminent. The UK, US, Canada, EU, and Japan have already ordered everything that Pfizer can produce in 2021 - so if you are in South America or Africa then tough luck. The rich kids are getting this first - plus ?a change.

There are other ongoing vaccine trials. Brazil is pinning hopes on the Chinese CoronaVac and Sputnik V in Russia is alleged to be getting even better Stage 3 results than Pfizer. Like Pfizer though, all these alternative vaccines seem to be close, but not quite there yet.

The UK has been trialling the idea of rapid testing in Liverpool, with a view to scaling up if successful. The UK government has been calling this idea 'Operation Moonshot' and though the idea of rapid testing is to be applauded, it can't work if it is not connected to some form of Covid passport - if it is just testing then how do you prove your status? Oxford University has designed a test that can return results in 5 minutes, so progress is being made, but this question of proving your test status is still missing in all these conversations.

There seems to be an endless sense of hope from the public that this will all be over soon and many politicians are either ignoring it (Bolsonaro, Trump) or mismanaging the response (Johnson). The reality is that over two-thirds of Europe is currently in lockdown and it looks like major cities in the US - such as New York - are heading back there again.

if we want some normality to return in 2021 then we must be able to prove our health status when entering a high-risk environment...

What's the answer? Wait for the vaccine? Deploy the 'moonshot' rapid testing at a cost to taxpayers of billions? Why are we not connecting the dots and just admitting the obvious - if we want some normality to return in 2021 then we must be able to prove our health status when entering a high-risk environment. This could be a nightclub, rock concert, theatre, or football match - possibly even hospitality environments such as pubs and restaurants.

Nobody should be forced to update their Covid passport, but if you want to enter an environment where you are surrounded by thousands of other people then a Covid passport check ensures that you are not a danger to the other people and they are not a danger to you.

With some forward-thinking this scheme could even be applied to other vaccinations. Why do I have a tattered piece of paper stapled to my passport to prove my Yellow Fever vaccination is valid and that I am allowed to travel? Why can't I just update it on my vaccination passport?

Critics will argue that there is a danger of all this health information being hacked, which is exactly why I am suggesting that the passport stores no other health information than the test date, result, and vaccination status. It's not your full health profile or history of treatment. Perhaps a blockchain database could ensure that information can only ever be added to the database - not erased or modified without leaving a trail of edits.

Others will also argue that it is intrusive and forces people to declare their identity where they could previously be anonymous. But in a world where half of the population have no intention of getting a vaccine, just waiting for the vaccine is also not an answer. Even if we have a vaccine, there is no guarantee we will have beaten the virus.

Also on a more practical level, not every country has a simple ID system. This is certainly true in the UK where any form of national identification system has met fierce opposition. But most people have something like a social security number that can be used to uniquely identify themselves. If India can get 1.2 billion unique Aadhaar numbers to their citizens then it can be done.

Think of the benefits if we do have a simple way to prove our vaccination or test status before entering a high risk area. Rock concerts can return. Travel will be safe again. Cruise ships can start sailing. We can sing at football matches again. Broadway could open again. Nightclubs can turn on the music again and Tinder dates can be in-person again. Pubs and restaurants will feel normal again because they can drop the masks and social distancing requirements. Life really could be just like normal again - not a mask-covered approximation of normal.

Ticketmaster was slammed by critics for even suggesting this idea, but how else do you suggest we are going to get the economy functioning again? And what if another novel coronavirus arrives next year or the year after? If this simple system is in place then we never need another severe lockdown, provided the scientists can create a test for the new disease. Isn't that worth thinking about?

CC Photo by Mana5280