New York Pilots COVID-19 Test Result, Vaccination Status App

(TNS) — New York is testing a new app that will allow stadiums, theaters and other businesses to quickly confirm patrons’ negative COVID-19 tests or vaccination status if needed.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo first mentioned the app during his State of the State address in January.
A major theme of the speech was using testing to ramp up New York’s reopening. Cuomo said at the time the state was working on an app to help businesses confirm negative tests.
 
The new system, developed in partnership with IBM, will allow users to print out their negative test results or vaccine status or store the information in a smartphone app. They can then present the printed status or app to a venue or business that needs the information.
 
The state has announced several reopening strategies in recent weeks, all of which require negative Covid tests or vaccines for patrons. Plans include the return of live sports, concerts and other events at large stadiums and arenas and the resumption of weddings and other celebrations.
Syracuse University has been making plans to return fans to the Carrier Dome, but they haven’t been approved by the state yet.
 
The state began testing the new confirmation system, known as the Excelsior Pass, at a Brooklyn Nets game at the Barclays Center on Feb. 27. As part of the test, a predetermined set of attendees will use the pass to confirm their negative test results with the arena before the game. The system’s mobile app will eventually be submitted for approval to the Apple and Google app stores.
 
“We’re doing everything we can to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as possible, as quickly as possible, while keeping the infection rate down and reenergizing our economy in a safe, smart way,” Cuomo said in a press release. “As we begin reopening the valves on different sectors of our economy, we are putting guidelines in place to ensure individuals attending events involving larger gatherings have tested negative for Covid or have been vaccinated to avoid an outbreak of the virus.
“The Excelsior Pass will play a critical role in getting information to venues and sites in a secure and streamlined way, allowing us to fast-track the reopening of these businesses and getting us one step closer to reaching a new normal.”
 
The system includes privacy protections, including an encrypted digital wallet, according to Cuomo’s office. Users can decide whether they want to use the system and how. User data will stay confidential, Cuomo’s office said. The system uses a QR code the informs a venue only if a patron is cleared for a specific event. Underlying data doesn’t get shared.
 
©2021 Syracuse Media Group, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.