Hawaii officials want to introduce vaccine passports for people traveling across the state
Brian Bielmann / AFP
- Hawaii is considering developing a vaccine passport scheme.
- The digital scheme would be required for citizens traveling around Hawaii.
- It would allow people to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Officials in Hawaii are considering introducing coronavirus vaccine passports for people traveling between the state's islands.
Hawaii Lt. Gov. Josh Green said the state wants to develop an app that allows Hawaiians to prove whether they have been vaccinated, KHON-TV reported Tuesday.
"I would love to pilot it in mid-April with the cards at least for inter-island travel," Green said, in comments reported by AP News.
"I think that makes a lot of sense. It would immediately empower probably about half of our travelers inside the islands to travel safely."
Green said he would work with a local company to develop the scheme, AP reported.
"You would have a company that would do spot-checking and certainly you can check the card itself and make sure that it looks legitimate," he said.
"'They would be able to verify the health record, they would then encrypt it so people can't steal someone's health record. Although really, all it is is whether you got vaccinated or not and your name and the date it occurred."
The Biden administration is reportedly coordinating with private companies to develop different schemes across the US which allow users to prove they have been vaccinated.
Proof of vaccination may be required for people attending concerts or entering restaurants, or for travelling by airplane.
New York has already announced an app called the Excelsior Pass which allows users to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently tested negative for the virus.
Reports of the White House push for vaccine passports have generated pushback from some GOP and conservative commentators, however.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said this week he would ban any vaccine passport scheme across the state.
"It's completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society," he said at a press conference Monday.
"You want to go to a movie theater. Should you have to show that? No. You want to go to a game, should you have to show that? No. You want to go to a theme park? No. We're not supportive of that."
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