Tourists Will Have a New Document
Media reports have emerged about a new document that may be required for tourists in the future, in addition to a passport and visa. This is an international health certificate that allows for travel around the world without a 14-day quarantine.
Such electronic passes — CommonPass — are already being issued at London’s Heathrow Airport. The first users are volunteer passengers on United Airlines and Cathay Pacific flights, who will test the certificates at airports in New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
It is possible that CommonPass will become a long-term measure that allows air travel to return to pre-COVID conditions. The digital certificate uploads the results of COVID-19 testing before the flight, as well as vaccination information. Airline staff and border officials gain access to this data by scanning a QR code in a special app.
Following the UK government, authorities in another 20 countries are ready to test such a scheme. If the testing is successful, global implementation of CommonPass could occur in early 2021.