The use of the so-called COVID-19 “vaccine passports” is quickly becoming a divisive issue in the US – with several states, including New York, embracing the idea, while others have already moved to ban them.
Last month, New York became the first state in the nation to formally launch a digital vaccine passport for Empire State residents to verify they have been immunized against the coronavirus.
The state program, dubbed the “Excelsior Pass,” allows New Yorkers to prove their vaccination status or a recent negative COVID-19 test to access events and businesses.
Madison Square Garden in Manhattan and the Times Union Center in Albany are already using the app. Smaller art, entertainment and event venues are also expected to use the pass, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office said.
Hawaii’s government David Ige told reporters on Monday that his state is testing the technology needed for a vaccine passport, but more work remains to be done.
[Vaccination passports] won’t happen for at least four weeks or so, ”said the Democrat, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has also said he supports passports, but added that they should not be required to enter an event or facility.
“As long as it’s your choice,” Pritzker told reporters, according to Patch.com. “If people ask you to show it for a specific location or private location, they have the option and the right to do so. You don’t have to show them that. You don’t have to go to that location or be involved in that activity. ”
Meanwhile, leaders in a slew of states – including Florida, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, and Nebraska – have already vehemently opposed any use of vaccine passports within their borders.
On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting government agencies or organizations receiving state funding from requiring COVID-19 vaccine passports.
“The government should not require any Texan to show proof of vaccination and disclose personal health information just to live his day-to-day life. That’s why I have issued an Executive Order banning government-mandated vaccine passports in Texas, ”Abbott said in a statement. “We will continue to vaccinate more Texans and protect public health – and we will do so without trespassing on Texans’ personal freedoms.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a similar executive order last week.
“It is completely unacceptable for the government or the private sector to require you to show proof of vaccination just to participate in normal society,” said DeSantis.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said on Tuesday that he was against “state-imposed” vaccine passports.
“I do not and will not support any state-mandated vaccination passport. While the development of multiple safe, highly effective COVID-19 vaccines is a scientific miracle, the decision to obtain the vaccine should be left to each individual, ”Kemp said on Twitter
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee also disapproved of vaccine passports on Tuesday.
‘I am against vaccine passports. The COVID-19 vaccine must be a personal health choice, not a government requirement, ” Lee tweeted
Gov. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska said in a tweet late last month that the state of Cornhusker “will not participate in a vaccination passport program.”
“This concept violates two central principles of the US system: freedom of movement and privacy in healthcare,” said Ricketts.
The Biden administration has said it is working to create a set of standards for the many private companies that make their own versions of passports – but will not create or require their own federal version.
“The government is not in place now, nor will we support a system that requires Americans to carry ID,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing Tuesday.
“There will be no federal vaccination database and there will be no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination record.”