Cape Town – Travelling abroad, attending concerts in stadiums or sport events seem a distant dream, with talk of Covid-19 ’’being here to stay’’.
However, all is not lost. In December last year, a live music event called Recharge 2020, which was staged at the Waterfront in Cape Town using Health Passport Worldwide technology, showed we aren’t necessarily doomed to living a heavily restricted life. Not when at least 275 people can be tested every hour and deliver results in 15 minutes.
This solution combines secure mobile technology with official Covid-19 tests and vaccinations, administered by medical professionals. Its user-friendly mobile app enables people to quickly and easily receive their test results.
So how does it work? Ahead of the December event, all attendees, including staff and performers, downloaded the mobile app. On the day of the event, everyone was tested using the latest rapid antigen tests .
They were then safely scanned into the event to provide the lowest levels of risk possible.
Justin Van Wyk, the CEO of Big Concerts, said: “This was an important moment for the events industry, which has been devastated by the pandemic. Using the Health Passport Worldwide platform allowed this event to proceed with the highest levels of risk mitigation, demonstrating the way forward for live events globally.”
According to Robert Quirke, founder of Health Passport Worldwide, this system is a bridge to the wider world, helping to open up travel, sports, events and businesses.
The technology puts user privacy as a priority, because unlike some other mobile technologies, the Health Passport Worldwide app does not track people’s location, does not use Bluetooth, does not use GPS and does not monitor people’s usage of the system. Data is not shared with any third parties.
Health Passport South Africa's flagship testing centre is now open at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, providing both PCR and Rapid Antigen tests. As demand increases, 550 people can be tested per hour.
Referencing sport tourism and events, Quirke said: “With the British & Irish Lions rugby tour scheduled to proceed this year, we now have the technology, processes and experience to be able to safely host it here in South Africa.
“We are working with the highest levels of authorities and government bodies to try to make it happen for the country.”
The Health Passport mobile technology also eliminates the potential for fraud and fake paper documents, which has recently caused havoc for international borders and airports. By using the secure mobile system, the airport and airlines can scan people’s QR code, similar to a boarding pass, making the entire process streamlined and helps to quickly get planes flying again.
Health Passport Worldwide is currently enrolling Covid-19 testing centres nationwide in South Africa and will support the efficient deployment of vaccinations.
"The Health Passport technology is free for the healthcare industry and for the public. We don't control the pricing of various Covid-19 test centres," says Quirke
IOL