An Irish-based company is set to launch a new solution that, it is hoped, can play a key role in reopening those industries that rely on large crowds or volumes of people. This would include airlines, tourism, sport and concerts and entertainment.
Health Passport Europe combines rapid COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and real-time mobile technologies to ensure that people can safely attend crowded gatherings or even travel internationally.
Robert Quirke, founder of Health Passport Europe, says the company understands that governments are focused on their national healthcare systems at present, so the needs of industries like tourism and sport come second. “We are here to help these industries to get things moving safely again,” he says.
Quirke explains that individuals visit an approved testing facility and are tested or vaccinated by a medical professional. An authorised healthcare administrator then updates the Health Passport Medical Hub. With rapid antigen testing, people can have their results within 15 minutes and their current status is then reflected on the Health Passport application, which has to be downloaded to their mobile device.
“In the case where onsite high-volume testing is required, the process has been developed to test over 65 000 people within eight hours, and in cases where individuals have not yet been vaccinated, their test status can be set to automatically expire after an agreed period, such as 72 hours.
“This means that people can come get a test in the 72 hours prior to an event, and then upon arrival at the gate, the QR code on their app is scanned to prove that they are not infected. The system is built specifically to work with all official COVID-19 vaccinations and test types and also to quickly integrate with public health systems, festivals, airports, test centres, event ticketing platforms and more. Our goal here is to support industry by helping to immediately reopen all these key business sectors.”
He adds that the platform is highly secure and encrypted, with a two-step verification to confirm accounts and new devices. It is fully GDPR compliant and totally consent-based.
“We put the individual at the centre of the data privacy circle. The user has control over who can access their account, to the point that even when updating health records following a test for the virus, Health Passport has to request access to their records to do so.”
The solution was implemented locally at a pioneering test event in Cape Town in December, which hosted 250 people. The live event, RECHARGE 2020, was held on 21 December at the Grand Café & Beach venue, with multiple live acts and DJs.
“Ahead of the RECHARGE 2020 event, all attendees, including staff, were required to download and set up the Health Passport Europe mobile app for free. On the day of the event, everyone was tested for COVID-19 before entering, using the latest rapid antigen tests that are already validated for use in South Africa,” he explains.
“All staff, performers and guests were tested before the event. Multiple positive detections were successfully made during pre-testing and anyone who tested positive was not permitted onto the event site, but was instead given professional medical advice. The event passed off safely and thus represents an important stepping-stone towards a wider reopening of live events in 2021,” he says.
According to Justin Van Wyk, CEO of Big Concerts, which has partnered with Health Passport Europe to bring this solution to South Africa, the company sees this as a viable solution to reopening events, and is already in discussions with government over how this can be applied.
He points out that artists and sports people have been unable to do anything over the past year, so there is genuine hope that this solution can offers these industries a lifeline.
“The creative industry in SA is worth R75 billion per annum – the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is worth R750 million alone, for example – while cycling is worth R1.5 billion to the city as well. So we are currently talking to government and hope – with this technology in place – to be able to reopen indoor events to at least 30% capacity, and outdoor ones to at least 50% capacity.”
“Apart from Health Passport’s ability to provide a kick-start to the industry, we believe it can play a crucial role in encouraging people to get vaccinated, despite some scepticism in some parts around the efficacy of the vaccine. Think about it: with an app like Health Passport, which can immediately inform event organisers whether or not you have been vaccinated, it becomes a simple binary choice for fans. If they want to see, for example, Beyonce performing, or the Springboks playing the British & Irish Lions, they will have to be vaccinated first,” he says.
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