Denmark announced on Wednesday its government will work with businesses to create a digital passport system showing whether travelers have received their COVID-19 vaccines.
The development of a vaccine verification system is aimed at allowing vaccinated travelers to commute with ease and reduce previous restrictions and measures implemented during the pandemic, the Associated Press reported, though the digital passports could potentially be used to open other sectors in the future.
“It is absolutely crucial for us to be able to restart Danish society so that companies can get back on track. Many Danish companies are global companies with the whole world as a market,” Finance Minister Morten Boedskov said during a news conference.
Starting at the end of February, Danish residents will be able to view their vaccination status via a health website and bypass previous quarantine requirements by showing authorities proof of vaccination.
“It will be the extra passport that you will be able to have on your mobile phone that documents that you have been vaccinated,” Boedskov said. “We can be among the first in the world to have it and can show it to the rest of the world.”
Estonia’s government announced on Tuesday that passengers arriving into the country with proof of a COVID-19 vaccination will be eligible to avoid a previously compulsory quarantine order, though the country said certification must be either Estonian, Russian, or English.
The European Commission said it was looking into ways to issue vaccination certificates to aid the process of helping travelers avoid quarantine measures. Currently, the European Union’s certificates of vaccination status are only used for medical purposes, such as tracking potential adverse side effects from COVID-19 vaccines.
In December, the World Health Organization touted interest in working with member states to develop electronic vaccine certificates, though the international body noted limitations, arguing that the passports are not proof of immunity from the disease.
“It is not a passport of immunity supposed to ensure that its holder is protected against the disease,” said Catherine Smallwood, a WHO senior emergency officer for Europe. “We do not recommend immunity passports, nor do we recommend testing as a means to prevent transmission across borders.”
According to Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 tracker, Denmark has recorded just over 200,000 COVID-19 infections since the outset of the pandemic, with 2,161 fatalities attributed to the disease. The country has vaccinated approximately 0.64% of its total population, or 37,094 people.
