by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG – DIGITAL health passports are projected to enhance secure travel in a post-coronavirus world.
This as the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) COVID-19 dashboard and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) statistics showing no end in sight for the virus.
According to statistics, there are more than 163,6 million confirmed cases globally as of the middle of May.
Daily increases in infections point to a looming third wave in the coming weeks or months.
Statistics shows us that different countries are at different stages of the pandemic.
“In this regard, health passports are the latest step in the evolving response to the global pandemic,” said Siyabulela Jobo, Business Development Manager: Global Digital Solutions at Iron Mountain South Africa.
“It is an idea that’s gaining traction too, as it seems such an obvious solution to help reopen the door to a post-COVID-19 world,” the official added.
“However, one person’s common sense approach to halting the spread of the virus and returning the world to a pre-virus level of interaction could be someone else’s worst nightmare. The devil, as ever, is in the detail.”
Jobo believes the first issue would be to establish a global standard.
Without this, the system is viewed as being unable to create long-term confidence.
“This includes the confidence to open borders, restart faltering economies, resurrect international trade and resume a lifestyle that many of us took for granted. So before everyone gets carried away with the idea, the practicalities of a vaccine passport need close scrutiny,” Jobo said.
The next questions that need answering are around verification and validation, the official said.
“Health passports are going to arrive in one form or another. Too much is at stake for them not to become a reality. How they’re designed and deployed will dictate the level of political resistance, user confidence and ultimately their value.”
Iron Mountain is a global leader for storage and information management services.
– CAJ News
