The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, announced today that it plans to launch a digital travel passport for COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates on Apple's App Store around April 15.
As reported by Reuters, IATA has had the digital passport in development for the past few months and is currently undergoing beta testing. Initial plans called for the digital pass to launch at the end of March, but undisclosed reasons pushed the release into mid-Apri.
The app will show whether a person has tested positive for COVID-19 and may become the international standard for proving someone has been vaccinated.
Kamil Alawadhi, IATA's regional VP for Africa and the Middle East, says the new app will only become valid when counties, airports, and airlines adopt it and make it a requirement. Already, UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic said that it would begin a trial of the pass with a flight on April 16 from London to Barbados, which will require travelers to present upon arrival.
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Stupid. Whether or not I’ve had the vaccine is nobody’s business but mine.
you have to prove vaccination to 1) travel to many international countries, 2) go to school (elementary, middle, high, college, or post graduate including boosters if needed), 3) for select occupations (ie healthcare fields), 4) joining the military. And when I say proof, actual records from a facility.
This individual liberty nonsense is theatrical drama at best and is eye rolling because it either demonstrates lack of basic knowledge of how things have worked with respect to public health or stem from sheer foolishness.
you don’t want to comply? That’s fine, you’re not entitled to air travel, movie theaters, dining establishments, live performance venues. They’re largely private businesses. No shirt no service? Just as legal as requiring proof of serologic protection.
Soon, we’ll need a Covid passport just to walk into the grocery store or even our place of work. Is this how they start to condition us for what’s to come?
People who predicted this a year ago were called "conspiracy theorists". Welcome to the future where your freedom is a thing of the past. They like to call it "the new normal"
I see this as a positive development for a lot of reasons.
For one, establishing an international standard. Anyone who's traveled to undeveloped or underdeveloped regions has experienced carrying a cardstock vax card for production at entry ports.
Second, a large group of the population is wary of government sponsored vax passports, particularly in the US. But, to return to a life where we can do things like go to ball games and concerts, it's going to be a necessity. Too many people will forge or out and out like about their status, which is unacceptable. People might be more inclined to trust an industry group like the IATA than their government.
Finally, it will encourage more people to get their vaccine. I know a LOT of people have a hesitancy to do so. I understand the large list of reasons why. I certainly don't agree with them all.
I've had both doses of the Moderna vax. Our work got it for us early as we are front line essential, so I had my second shot back in February. My wife gets her second this Saturday. She was a bit hesitant, as was I at first. One of my doctors participated in the Moderna trial as a recipient. After speaking with him, I decided to go ahead with it.
Me and my wife both had minimal side effects. I had a sore arm and felt lousy the next day. She as well, but a bit tired. I had no side effects to the second shot. I was also previously infected with COVID and (obviously) survived.
I would encourage everyone who has not, and has access to get the vax. A large group of my co workers had it at the same time, and only 2 had reactions that were similar to a flu shot reaction.
Monday January 10, 2022 3:16 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Users of Virgin Mobile and O2 networks based in the UK will not face EU roaming charges when traveling abroad, the company that owns both networks has announced (via BBC News).
Based on an analysis of rates from other provides, Virgin Media O2 said a family of four going abroad for two weeks could see an extra £100 on their bill. As such, the company said it would not be re-introducing EU...
Monday February 21, 2022 9:29 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apps that copy concepts and features from other apps are nothing new in the App Store, but scammy like-for-like clones of genuine apps remain a perennial problem that Apple still hasn't resolved, as indie developer Kevin Archer recently discovered. Archer is responsible for 2Stable's Authenticator App, a feature-rich app that stores and generates secure two-factor authentication tokens...
Thursday March 17, 2022 10:38 am PDT by Juli Clover
The European Union is set to introduce new legislation as soon as this month that would significantly affect how the App Store operates in Europe, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The Digital Markets Act has been in development for some time and the finalized version that could be completed as soon as this month will allow for sideloading and alternate app store options. Apple will be...
Friday October 1, 2021 10:46 am PDT by Juli Clover
United Airlines today announced that its Travel-Ready Center is offering Apple Health app integration to make it easier for customers to share their verified vaccination records ahead of traveling.
Apple in iOS 15 added a feature that lets iPhone owners add their SMART Health Card formatted vaccination records to the Apple Health app, with those records able to be used for vaccine...
European lawmakers have provisionally agreed upon a new law that would force Apple to allow user access to third-party app stores and permit the sideloading of apps on iPhones and iPads, among other sweeping changes designed to make the digital sector fairer and more competitive. The European Council and European Parliament said on Friday they had reached a political agreement on the...
Wednesday March 2, 2022 1:19 pm PST by Juli Clover
Google today told employees that they will need to return to their physical offices starting on Monday, April 4, reports CNBC. This will apply to employees located in the Bay Area, which is where Google has a Mountain View-based main campus, along with employees in other locations around the United States.
Santa Clara County,t where Google and Apple are located, has been lifting...
Friday February 4, 2022 4:01 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Twitter is globally expanding its testing of a new "dislike" or thumbs down button for tweets, which is designed to let people downvote replies on the social media platform.
The company announced the global expansion of the test on Thursday, saying it had "learned a lot" about the downvoting option in its initial limited testing:
We learned a lot about the types of replies you don't find...
Apple's first event of 2022 will likely take place in March or April, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said today in his "Power On" newsletter. Gurman said a new iPhone SE with support for 5G and a faster chip is likely to be among the announcements at the event.
"Apple's first virtual event of 2022 is coming up in just a few short months and is likely to take place in either March or April, I'm...
Apple has "started to record" its virtual September event, where it's expected to announce the upcoming iPhone 14 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 8, and a new "rugged" Apple Watch model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says the event, which is expected to take place in the early part of September, is already under production, implying...
The standard 41mm and 45mm models of the Apple Watch Series 8 will feature the same design as the Apple Watch Series 7, according to Twitter user @ShrimpApplePro, who was first to reveal that iPhone 14 Pro models would feature a new pill-and-hole display.
Titanium will not be an option for the standard Apple Watch Series 8 models either, according to @ShrimpApplePro, but Bloomberg's Mark...
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models are rumored to be available in a refreshed range of color options, including an all-new purple color. Most expectations about the iPhone 14 lineup's color options come from an unverified post on Chinese social media site Weibo earlier this year.
Overall, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro's selection of color options could look fairly similar to those of the ...
With the fifth beta of iOS 16, Apple has updated the battery icon on iPhones with Face ID to display the specific battery percentage rather than just a visual representation of battery level. The new battery indicator is available on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, with the exception of the 5.4-inch iPhone 12/13 mini. It is also available on the iPhone X and the iPhone XS. Battery percent...
The camera bump on the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro Max is expected to be the largest rear lens housing Apple has ever installed on its flagship smartphones, and a new photo offers a rare glimpse at just how prominent it is compared to Apple's predecessor device.
iPhone 14 Pro Max dummy (left) vs iPhone 13 Pro Max All iPhone 14 models are expected to see upgrades to the Ultra Wide camera on the...
A new rumor claims that the next-generation 12.9-inch and 11-inch iPad Pro will feature a new four-pin Smart Connector, an update from the current three-pin connector in the iPad Pro.
The rumor from Mac Otakara, citing "reliable sources," says that the next iPad Pro, expected to debut possibly as soon as this fall, will feature a new Smart Connector that has four-pins rather than three. The...
Top Rated Comments
This individual liberty nonsense is theatrical drama at best and is eye rolling because it either demonstrates lack of basic knowledge of how things have worked with respect to public health or stem from sheer foolishness.
you don’t want to comply? That’s fine, you’re not entitled to air travel, movie theaters, dining establishments, live performance venues. They’re largely private businesses. No shirt no service? Just as legal as requiring proof of serologic protection.
For one, establishing an international standard. Anyone who's traveled to undeveloped or underdeveloped regions has experienced carrying a cardstock vax card for production at entry ports.
Second, a large group of the population is wary of government sponsored vax passports, particularly in the US. But, to return to a life where we can do things like go to ball games and concerts, it's going to be a necessity. Too many people will forge or out and out like about their status, which is unacceptable. People might be more inclined to trust an industry group like the IATA than their government.
Finally, it will encourage more people to get their vaccine. I know a LOT of people have a hesitancy to do so. I understand the large list of reasons why. I certainly don't agree with them all.
I've had both doses of the Moderna vax. Our work got it for us early as we are front line essential, so I had my second shot back in February. My wife gets her second this Saturday. She was a bit hesitant, as was I at first. One of my doctors participated in the Moderna trial as a recipient. After speaking with him, I decided to go ahead with it.
Me and my wife both had minimal side effects. I had a sore arm and felt lousy the next day. She as well, but a bit tired. I had no side effects to the second shot. I was also previously infected with COVID and (obviously) survived.
I would encourage everyone who has not, and has access to get the vax. A large group of my co workers had it at the same time, and only 2 had reactions that were similar to a flu shot reaction.