A Singaporean returning from Japan to Singapore on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ367 on Dec 21, 2020, became the first traveller in the world to use a digital health certificate to cross an international border. The traveller presented an ICC AOKpass issued by the Shinagawa East Medical Clinic to officially present a negative Covid-19 digital test result at Changi Airport.
ICC AOKpass is a “health records authentication and presentation technology” launched by the International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”), health and security service firm International SOS and SGS Group, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. The pass was co-developed with AOKpass Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based startup.
“Facilitating the 1st digital certificate entry into Singapore is yet another important milestone in the resumption of global travel during the COVID-19 outbreak,” says Ms Juliana Gim, Managing Director of International SOS Singapore. Trials for the ICC AOKpass began for Singapore-based International SOS employees as early as May last year.
From Dec 23, 2020, Malaysian and Indonesian travellers will enjoy dedicated immigration lanes at Changi Airport to digitally verify their health credentials via the ICC AOKpass app. Having undergone a polymerase chain reaction (“PCR”) test at an accredited health provider, travellers will receive their test result with a unique QR code in the app for verification. This pilot programme will be rolled out to other international travellers over time.
All medical information and health certificates in the ICC AOKpass are certified by accredited medical practitioners to prevent fraud. Data on the ICC AOKpass is decentralised at all times, with privacy, security and transparency maintained via an Ethereum public blockchain network to ensure full user control of peer-to-peer exchange of Covid-19 medical information.
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“As we look towards the revival of widespread international travel and trade, there is an urgent need for a common framework in certifying, authenticating and securing the results of a COVID-19 test for air transport stakeholders and local health authorities. In addition, users must trust that their data privacy is managed well, with no risk of personal data leaks,” says AOKpass founder Dr Chester Drum.
To create a common framework for the resumption of international travel and trade across different jurisdictions, AOKpass is adaptable to the different regulatory requirements of different companies and firms. As Covid-19 treatment and detection methods evolve, the AOKpass can be readily adapted to cohere to new requirements.
Already, the app is used to facilitate quarantine-free flights between Rome and New York. Passengers must present a negative test result before being allowed to board a flight.
“With the adoption of ICC AOKpass at Changi Airport, alongside our global network of 90,000 providers, we strongly believe such secure technology will be instrumental in establishing a trusted and standardised global system to facilitate the return to work and travel across all industries, with Singapore at the forefront of these efforts,” notes Gim of International SOS.
Photo Source: Affinidi
