While the Irish government may be closer to a definite date about the reopening of indoor hospitality, there is still uncertainty about what measure will be in place to screen those who are vaccinated or have had Covid-19 previously.
In the Netherlands, they have recently brought in a system of their own which will help out with reopening called CoronaCheck.
Here the main questions surrounding the app and if it is something we can replicate in Ireland.
Who can use CoronaCheck?
Back on June 26th the Dutch Government announced a major easing of restrictions as well as the news that businesses can resume indoor dining if they implement the CoronaCheck system.
They said those who can use the CoronaCheck app must have proof of vaccination, proof they have recovered from Covid in past six months or proof of a recent negative test.
This is similar to Denmark's Coronapas app, which allows people to use it as a vaccine passport for indoor dining as well as travel in the EU.
How does it work?
For those who meet the criteria they can download the CoronaCheck app on their phone. It works on smartphones running on Android (Android 6 or later) and iOS (iOS 12 or later, on iPhone 5s and later).
It can be downloaded free of charge from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. People can also print a paper Covid certificate from CoronaCheck.nl if that is more suitable.
To upload proof of being vaccinated, having Covid or a negative test, people can use the CoronaCheck app or the website CoronaCheck.nl.
They will have to log with their DigiD (online ID) and then information about their vaccination will be automatically downloaded from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).
Once everything is uploaded, the app makes a certificate from the details, in the form of a QR code. You can then use that QR code and have it scanned at the entrance of the location you are visiting
Can it be used for travel?
Yes, it also acts as a Covid Digital Cert for travel.
CoronaCheck can be used to travel within the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The certificate is known as the EU Digital Covid Certificate (DCC) and it is available to everyone aged 12 and over.
A confirmation of a Covid-19 vaccination in a vaccination booklet is not official proof of vaccination, so they said usually you cannot use it to travel.
For those travelling into The Netherlands, they must show a negative Covid-19 test result if you are travelling to or returning to the Netherlands from: a very high-risk area where there is a variant of concern and another high-risk or very high-risk area (orange travel advisory)
The CoronaCheck app or the website CoronaCheck.nl automatically registers the proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or negative test result in the form of a QR code. The QR code will be scanned when you start a trip, for example when you board the aircraft or when you cross the border in your car.
Have their been issues around privacy?
In the privacy statement it explains how the app treats your information. They said the most important points are: the information is not stored centrally anywhere and GPS and location data are not used or stored.
Finally, could Ireland implement a similar system?
While much of the talk around the reopening of indoor dining has been about rapid antigen testing, the idea of having an app similar to CoronaCheck has been spoken about.
Of course the risk of people providing false information about being vaccinated is an issue, but one way to avoid this is to link it to an ID number such as PPS. That's what the Dutch have done. The app would also have to be reliable though if it has to be used for indoor dining and possibly travel around Europe as well.
