The European Union’s executive arm has cleared the way for the introductions of a Digital Green Certificate that provides proof that holders have been vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19 or have recently tested negative. These passes are meant to facilitate travel, striking a balance between tourism-dependent states that eager to reopen and countries that have adopted a more cautious stance. However, the EU faces a tough task in seeking to introduce these COVID-19 passports by their June goal.

This decision comes just as numerous mobile app-based systems are already in the works. Decision makers are looking for the app that will best provide strict data protection, be easily modifiable and will permit scans to be completed in just a few seconds with the same equipment used to check boarding passes. To test which system creates the smallest bottleneck for customers while doing its job, trials are underway in a handful of airports, including Paris, London, Rome, San Francisco and Los Angeles. (Bloomberg, 03.19.21)

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