For those who are itching to get back to travel and events sooner, the Health Passport system may be the answer.
So, how does it work?
Health Passport Worldwide is a digital platform designed to support the healthcare sector and the safe return of the travel, tourism and events industries. Engineered in Europe by the ROQU Group, the platform combines the latest digital technologies with official Covid-19 tests and vaccinations.
According to a press statement, Health Passport South Africa works with the Health Passport Worldwide system.
The mobile app enables people to quickly and easily receive their test results and also automatically delivers the certified documents directly to their mobile. The overall platform works with tests and vaccinations administered by medical professionals.
The Health Passport Worldwide app ensures travellers' privacy. As such, it does not track people’s location, does not use Bluetooth or GPS, and data is not shared with any third parties.
Along with testing, the system can also house a digital record of people’s vaccination, making everything easily accessible whenever it is required.
New home in South Africa
Health Passport South Africa launched its flagship testing centre at The Lookout Waterfront in Cape Town. The centre provides both PCR and Rapid Antigen tests, and the advanced setup means that 275 people can test every hour. It can scale up overnight to 550 people per hour.
Everyone can securely receive their results through the Health Passport app. Health Passport Worldwide is currently enrolling Covid-19 testing centres nationwide in South Africa.
Trial
A live music event called Recharge 2020 was staged in South Africa in December last year using the Health Passport tech. Ahead of the event, all attendees, including staff and performers, downloaded the mobile app.
On the day of the event, everyone tested using the latest rapid antigen tests validated for use in South Africa. They were then safely scanned into the event to provide the lowest levels of risk possible.
Justin Van Wyk, CEO of Big Concerts said that using the Health Passport Worldwide platform allowed the event to proceed with the highest levels of risk mitigation. He said it demonstrated the way forward for live events globally.
Technological benefits
As international travel and tourism have dropped by almost 90% in South Africa, this may be what the industry needs to get back to normality. With major sporting events planned, such as The British & Irish Lions Rugby Tour and the Cape Town Cycle Tour, the technology and the testing process now offers a potential solution to enable these major projects to continue.
Arthur Goldstuck, the founder of World Wide Worx, detailed the technology aspect. He said: “The technology is seamless and more important, it’s straightforward, using functionality that is widely available, integrated in a way and for a purpose that has massive potential for positive impact.”
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