China introduced “virus passport.”
China had officially introduced a health certificate program for Chinese international travelers, leading the world in plans for the so-called “virus passport.”
The digital certificate, which showed a user’s vaccination status and COVID-19 test results, was available for Chinese citizens through a program on the Chinese social media platform WeChat that was officially launched on Monday.
In a report on GMA News Online, a foreign ministry spokesman said that the certificate was being rolled out in order to “help promote world economic recovery” and to “facilitate cross-border travel.”
However, although the certificate was meant for travel in and out of China, it was currently only available for use by Chinese citizens and it wasn’t yet mandatory.
There’s also no indication authorities in other countries would use it when Chinese travelers go abroad. Nevertheless, the certificate, which was also available in paper form, was thought to be the world’s first known “virus passport”.
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The United States and the United Kingdom were among countries currently considering imposing similar permits. Also, the European Union was working on a vaccine “green pass” that will allow citizens to travel between member countries and abroad.
State media agency Xinhua on Monday reported that China’s program included an encrypted QR code that allowed each country to obtain travelers’ health information.
“QR health codes” within WeChat and other Chinese smartphone applications were already required in order to gain entry to domestic transport and many public spaces in China.
The applications tracked a user’s location and produced a “green” code — synonymous with good health — if a user hadn’t been in close contact with a confirmed case or hadn’t traveled to a virus hotspot.
However, the system had sparked privacy concerns and fears it marked an expansion of government surveillance.
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