Vaccinated Australians have been armed with more technology in their pockets to prove their status as a new poll reveals majority support for digital domestic travel passports. But will they fly?
People immunised against COVID-19 can now add a digital vaccination certificate to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay on smartphones.
According to a newly updated government webpage detailing the feature, Australians can access their digital certificate through the Express Plus Medicare app or online via my.gov.au.
Like other passes, tickets and coupons stored in Wallet, Australia’s COVID-19 digital certificate can be uploaded to iCloud and synced across all devices linked to a user’s Apple ID.
Meanwhile, an Essential poll of almost 1110 Australians found a majority would be comfortable with vaccination passports for domestic travel.
About 72 per cent of respondents support rules requiring people to prove they are immunised before travelling interstate.
Some 63 per cent are in favour of requiring people to prove they are fully vaccinated before entering public venues, including restaurants.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the government wanted to make sure technology was in place for people to demonstrate their status easily.
“It’s very important people have that ability,” he told ABC radio.
“Particularly potentially when it comes to overseas travel in the future, not just in terms of what rules Australia might put in place, but the rules other countries might put in place as well.”
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said getting vaccination rates up should be the priority before debating the merits of passport-like measures.
“Inevitably, what you’ll have is restrictions on people entering into mass areas because other people who are in there who are vaccinated will want to feel that they’re safe,” he told 3AW radio.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is set to release Doherty Institute modelling that guided vaccination coverage targets agreed in principle last week.
As part of the federal and state government ‘pathway to normality’ plan, a 70 per cent vaccination target would mean lockdowns to be ‘less likely’ and an 80 per cent threshold for city-wide closures to all but end.
At the higher mark, vaccinated Australians will be allowed to freely travel overseas, and international arrival caps will be scrapped.
Australia remains second from the bottom in the developed world in its vaccination rates, with only 19.2 per cent of people over 16 so far receiving both doses.
Via AAP