New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has launched of a blockchain-powered vaccination passport built on top of IBM’s Digital Health Pass.
The city’s blockchain-powered “Excelsior Pass,” Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on 26 March the release of a vaccination passport.
The passport is issued on a free, volunteer platform which checks Covid-19 vaccine or negative test results using a QR code for the scanning or printing of smartphones. The Excelsior Pass is meant to help reopen New York’s companies and public venues.
The vaccination passport is built on the IBM Digital health pass, which provides a verified and secure sharing of a user identity, vaccination history and test results without revealing personal information without any association.
Governor Cuomo highlighted in the announcement that it is important to re-open technology in ways that address public and economic health: “As more New Yorkers get vaccinated each day and as key public health metrics continue to regularly reach their lowest rates in months, the first-in-the-nation Excelsior Pass heralds the next step in our thoughtful, science-based reopening.”
“IBM is proud to support the New York State with efforts to use innovative technologies for helping residents and communities respond to the COVID-19,” said Steve LaFleche, General Manager of IBM Public and Federal Markets, proudly assisting in the new York Plan for reopening.
On 2 March, Cuomo initially revealed plans for a blockchain powered vaccination passport following a successful system test during the last week’s Brooklyn Nets NBA game.