BRITAIN will lead the world in creating a globe-trotting vaccine passport in a major boost to summer foreign holidays.
After Trending In The News revealed Spain will open its borders in June, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he will be meeting with other G7 nations to show how the NHS app will be turned into a travel passport to open up destinations around the globe.
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Transport insiders hope the NHS app – currently used to book appointments – will be seamlessly integrated with Covid border regulations in the EU, USA and further afield.
Mr Shapps will chair the meeting with other officials next week and is expected to demonstrate how the technology will work.
He’ll also explain how a paper version will be produced so people without the latest smart phone are not discriminated against.
Speaking yesterday Mr Shapps said: “In terms of vaccine certification, I can confirm we are working on an NHS application; actually it will be the NHS app that is used for people when they book appointments with the NHS and so on, to be able to show you’ve had a vaccine or you’ve had testing.
“I’m working internationally with partners across the world to make sure that system can be internationally recognised, as that’s the way forward.”
Holidays will become legal again on May 17 under Boris Johnson’s road map out of lockdown.
Ministers are set to decide the way in which the globe will be carved up into their Covid traffic light system.
Arrivals won’t have to quarantine from ‘green’ countries but will have to take a test on arrival.
Those coming from ‘amber’ nations will have to stay at home for ten days and take two tests, while all passengers inbound from ‘red’ destinations will have to hotel quarantine.
Mr Shapps said while the data “looks good” from a UK perspective, the rest of the world looked a bit more bleak.
He told Times Radio: “I have just checked the figures, the rest of the world currently has the highest seven day average ever since this pandemic started.
“So we are not out of the woods yet internationally.”
