The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
N.Y. launches digital vaccination, testing passport app
NEW YORK » State officials have launched a digital pass New Yorkers can download to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
As part of this initial launch, participating New Yorkers may choose to use Excelsior Pass to verify their COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results as needed to gain entry to major stadiums and arenas, wedding receptions, or catered and other events above the social gathering limit.
Interested New Yorkers can opt-in to use Excelsior Pass and learn more here; interested businesses can opt in and learn more here.
Major venues have already announced they will begin utilizing this technology in the coming weeks, including Madison Square Garden in New York City beginning next week and the Times Union Center in Albany. Beginning April 2, Excelsior Pass will expand to smaller arts, entertainment and event venues.
The app is similar to a mobile airline boarding pass and uses a secure QR code that can be stored in a smartphone or printed out. Officials said the technology doesn’t store or track private health data within the app. The Governor’s office said New York is the first state in the U.S. to formally launch this kind of app.
“New Yorkers have proven they can follow public health guidance to beat back COVID, and the innovative Excelsior Pass is another tool in our new toolbox to fight the virus while allowing more sectors of the economy to reopen safely and keeping personal information secure,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
Excelsior Pass is built on IBM’S Digital Health Pass solution and is designed to enable the secure verification of health credentials such as test results and vaccination records without the need to share underlying medical and personal information. The technology is flexible and built to scale, allowing other states to join and help foster a safer, trusted transition to a post-pandemic reality. The pass can also be printed and is complementary to other types of proof that patrons can use, reducing any barriers to usage.
Steve Lafleche, General Manager, IBM Public and Federal Markets, said, “IBM is proud to support the State of New York with its efforts to apply innovative technologies to help residents and communities respond to COVID-19. In choosing a flexible and accessible tool that places security and privacy at its core, the state is modeling for the rest of the country how new, technology-enabled approaches can help safely reinvigorate economies while also striving to protect public health.”
Bob Belber, General Manager, Times Union Center, said, “The Times Union Center looks forward to using this platform and making this excellent technology available for future events. With the convenience of Excelsior Pass, attendees will be able to easily gain access to the arena while promoting public health by showing proof of vaccinations or proof of negative test results on a mobile device. This will be a game-changer for our venue’s continued reopening process and for New Yorkers in the Capital Region and beyond.”
The state also recently announced the expansion of the New York Forward Rapid Test Program to help businesses, catered events, professional sports games with fans, and events, arts, and entertainment venues safely reopen, with dozens of sites now open statewide. This unique public-private partnership makes low-cost rapid testing more available to the public to support enhanced economic activity as the State continues to reopen sectors of the economy. All participating testing providers have committed to rapid reporting of COVID-19 test results to ECLRS, enabling integration with Excelsior Pass.
Cuomo announced Saturday that more than 8.5 million total vaccine doses have been administered across the state, including more than 1 million doses over the past week.