Lorraine Simpson: Why you might need a vaccination passport in our post-pandemic world

The world is a changing place in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit exactly a year ago.

Yes, it’s been a long year of lockdowns, social distancing, wearing masks, and each day the rules and guidelines are changing from city-to-city and from country-to-country, especially in the travel and tourism industry which over the last 12 months has suffered billions of dollars in losses globally. Incoming tourism to Canada alone is worth $39 billion.

Grounded airlines and transportation and closed hotels and tourist attractions have been the harsh realities caused by COVID-19. Just ask the long list of travel agents who went from making over $200,000 a year to having to hold their hands out for government support. Our government has spent more per capita on pandemic relief than any other government in the developed world. Ottawa, ON, has spent nearly a third more than the U.K. government, for instance; and the U.K. has nearly twice our population.

This is all fine and dandy, but our kids will be paying this back for decades and it is very important to get out of this before more businesses go bankrupt.

Tourism and hospitality have been the worst hit. And would you believe that travel agencies were specifically excluded from the small business grant and many tourism professionals who worked from home did not qualify for the loans or the grants available. Then there are those in the industry who relied on minimum wages and tips/gratuities – most, if not all, have been out of work and some may never return to their jobs.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, so why are we not using rapid testing widely?  

You see, rapid testing is available just about everywhere and if used wisely and widely, this could allow visits to elderly relatives: protecting those most at risk, visits to hospitals where essential treatments are being slowed or ceased altogether, putting lives at risk and even people could have a much-needed birth partner when having a baby which in most cases is not currently allowed and I would have been absolutely mortified if that had been me. People needing mental health counselling could be tested before sessions… and the list goes on.

Vaccinations and Vaccination Passports: Opening a can of worms?

Having spent so long unable to even leave the province, everyone is getting itchy to fly again but travel does not always mean a vacation. Many people have to fly for all sorts of reasons including work, sick relatives, or just to visit family, and the restrictions have been very difficult on those people especially. My family lives in UK and all I think about is that this is the longest I have ever gone without seeing them.

Much of Europe recently announced plans to roll out digital coronavirus vaccination passports, reigniting a debate around the use of health documents as a way to ease lockdowns that are crippling the global economy.

Proponents say identifying people who are immune to the coronavirus or at lower risk of spreading it could help open-up travel and other services. But critics have raised concerns over privacy, health, and discrimination. I posted only last week my personal support of this as a person who works to travel, I would feel happy to comply with whatever the requirements were if I was able to travel again and help my clients to also do the same.

The vaccines being made available by governments around the world are safe, contend leading health agencies and the World Health Organization (WHO). As we all know, vaccinations are safe and work. Do you know anyone with polio? These Corona Virus vaccines are based on already available vaccines, and in some cases have even been used before, such as the Vector Vaccine Johnson and Johnson have developed that is almost the same as the Ebola Vaccine. None of them are using new biotechnology, which is why they were able to pass so quickly through trials. The side effects have been very minimal based on the numbers and actually a feeling of being a little unwell, similar to a baby getting their first vaccines, is a good sign that it is working.

There is also the debate on freedom; that is the right to choose to get vaccinated or not.

I will do whatever it takes to get traveling again and I am in line waiting to get my vaccination. Vaccinations are a hot topic of debate – some people who are mostly ill-informed or buy into the hyped media misinformation view them as unsafe, while others feel it infringes on their fundamental freedoms, coupled with a concern of too-much governmental control. The point is, COVID-19 is real: it shut down our world, destroyed lives, ruined the economy, and even took millions of lives. Vaccinations will help save lives and will help get our world moving again.

I want to make it clear – people have a choice to get vaccinated or not. My choice is to get vaccinated, and I certainly respect other people’s viewpoints on the matter.

What’s interesting, is that the vaccinations may be the key driver in getting the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, and the world for that matter, back to a new normal, where we can travel and move more freely again. Life will never be what it once was pre-COVID-19, but anything is better than lockdowns, closures, and restrictions, according to economists and leading travel-think-tank groups.

Vaccination Passports may help get our world moving again

I want to point out that vaccination passports may be the new reality in our post-pandemic world, and already there are now scores of examples of governments and travel businesses considering this move. Certainly, in the short term, countries and cruise lines are making it a mandatory requirement.

Here at home, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, says Canada and other countries are “actively exploring” vaccine passports for international travel. Trudeau’s government has criticized the move in the past, but there has been a significant shift over the last few weeks.

Let’s have a look at how other countries around the world are handling the matter.

China has put in place an app-based health code system that uses travel and medical data to give people a red, yellow, or green rating indicating the likelihood of them having the virus — and whether or not they can walk around freely.

Israel has said it plans to issue a “green passport” to those who have been vaccinated, which will grant them easy access to restaurants and cultural events and exempt them from quarantine rules or getting a virus test before travel.

Chile said it would issue certificates to people who recovered from the virus.

And in India, everyone who has been vaccinated will get a QR code-based electronic certificate, according to the Health Ministry.

The corporate world takes a stand

The corporate world is doing more than just talking about vaccinations and passports – they are actually doing it.

Crystal Cruises and Virgin Voyages, two leading cruise companies, just announced that it will require all guests and crew to be vaccinated before being allowed to go on its cruises. Passengers and crew will be required to show proof of being vaccinated well-before boarding begins.

Virgin Voyages CEO Tom McAlpin issued a “brand” statement confirming the line’s policy when it begins its first cruises later this year.

“We know that the future is vaccinations and testing,” says McAlpin. “We’re committed to fully vaccinated cruises, which includes both passengers and crew. Our goal is to ensure that we’re providing the safest travel experience which means vaccinations for both our crew and passengers. This is a step towards the safe return to sailing and is the right decision for Virgin Voyages.”

Virgin Voyages first ship, Scarlet Lady, is now projected to make its debut in July out of Miami. Just how the vaccination program will be implemented or regulated is still being worked out, according to a spokesperson, but I would certainly like to be on one of their much awaited cruises.

Other cruise lines that have announced a similar policy include river cruise line American Queen Steamboat Company and sister small boat Victory Cruise Line.

Vaccination Passports: We can expect more heated debates

The debate over vaccinations and passports will be a boiling point in many arenas: governmental, corporate, business, and society for that matter.

We need to do what’s right, what works best for everyone, and we can’t afford our economy, one being the travel and tourism industry, to continue losing billions of dollars. If its vaccinations and passports that will get our world up from off the ground, then let’s do it. If you don’t agree, then fine, that’s okay, but so many people need everything to get moving again.

If you would like to voice your opinion on vaccines and passports, reach out to me today. I am more than happy to speak with anyone and share ideas.