A vaccine passport system from the Quebec government in Canada has the backing of a majority of its business community, reports CTV News.
In the wake of intensified COVID vaccine campaigns, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce appears to be largely supportive of a proposed vaccine passport system, which they believe will help prevent the further spread of coronavirus infections in the country. They also believe that the system can also help offset the economic problems brought about by constant lockdowns.
According to Chamber president Perrin Beaty, the private sector is "united" in the fact that Canada can no longer afford lockdowns. He also reiterated that even if 80 percent of all Canadians over age 12 have expressed their desire to get vaccinated, it's still not enough to achieve the elusive herd immunity.
This news comes after Scott Jones, Canada's leading cybersecurity expert, announced his newfound focus on developing a digital vaccine passport, reports Global News. However, the development of the vaccine passport system that Jones will head focuses mostly on allowing Canadians to travel abroad after being fully vaccinated.
Quebec's proposed vaccine passport system is also a response to the rising number of infections in the country. Earlier, the local government announced that proofs of vaccination will be required starting September to access non-essential services.
Read also: COVID Vaccine Passports Handed to Fully-Vaxxed Fans Could Be A Requirement To Watch Football Matches
Vaccine Passport System: The Fastest Way to Normalcy?
So far, around 1.2 billion people globally are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, reports OurWorldInData. This number is still far from ideal. Furthermore, there's the worldwide surge in COVID cases due to the highly contagious Delta variant, which is why many governments are at a race against time.
To encourage more people to get vaccinated, health and government officials are relying on the use of vaccine passports. The rule is simple: anybody who wants to eat out, go to the gym, or watch a movie needs to present proof that they are vaccinated against COVID-19.
However, many people are still unvaccinated, either by personal choice or some other reason. And it's this very thing that a vaccine passport system is trying to fight against. The world's inoculation speed is so slow, that last year's prediction of herd immunity being achieved in July has already passed.
With a comprehensive vaccine passport system, it might be possible to speed up the handout of vaccines, while also making it easier to identify who is still unvaccinated.
Will Employers Require Vaccine Passports Too?
Major employers aren't directly mentioning the need for a vaccine passport system, but they are doing what they can to ensure that their employees are inoculated before returning to work.
For instance, Google is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated by the time they get to work. Other big companies have been following Google's lead to, all with the aim of ensuring that the Delta variant will no longer spread and take more lives.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by RJ Pierce
