passports' | Common News Update

Apr62021 by adminNo Comments

Covid passports: Entertainment venues air concerns over plans

Entertainment

Getty ImagesLeading figures in the UK entertainment industry have expressed reservations about the prospect of using Covid passports as venues reopen, especially if they require proof of vaccination.The government has said Covid-status certificates could be used at theatres, nightclubs and festivals from June.They could be used to prove if a person has been vaccinated, has had a recent negative test or has natural immunity.But some industry figures say they have "deep concerns" over the proposals.The announcement of a series of pilot events, which will start later this month, has already proved controversial.Trial events are due to take place at venues in Liverpool, as well as sporting fixtures including the Snooker World Championships and FA Cup Final.Covid passports are 'one option', say...

Apr62021 by adminNo Comments

Texas governor bans mandated COVID-19 ‘vaccine passports’

Health

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is using his executive power to ban state government and some private entities from requiring COVID-19 “vaccine passports" to access servicesByThe Associated PressApril 6, 2021, 10:09 PM• 3 min readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleAUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott used his executive power Tuesday to ban state government and some private entities from requiring COVID-19 “vaccine passports” to access services, in the latest move from a Republican governor pitting public health campaigns against personal freedom and private choices.According to Abbott's order, state agencies and political subdivisions, and public and private organizations that receive public funding in Texas cannot require people to prove that they have been inoculated against th...

Mar232021 by adminNo Comments

Covid-19: Vaccines and vaccine passports being sold on darknet

Technology

Getty ImagesCovid-19 vaccines, vaccine passports and faked negative test papers are being sold on the darknet.Prices range between $ 500 (£360) and $ 750 for doses of AstraZeneca, Sputnik, Sinopharm or Johnson & Johnson jabs.Fake vaccination certificates are also being sold by anonymous traders for as little as $ 150.Researchers say they have seen a "sharp increase" in vaccine-related darknet adverts, while the BBC has been unable to verify if the vaccines are real.The darknet, also known as the dark web, is a portion of the internet that is only accessible through specific browser tools.Researchers at cyber-security company Check Point have monitored hacking forums and other marketplaces since January, when vaccine adverts first appeared.They say the number of adverts they have seen h...

Apr262020 by adminNo Comments

WHO warns against COVID-19 ‘immunity passports’

Technology

The World Health Organisation has warned governments not to use so-called "immunity passports" to allow people to return to work simply because they have antibodies for COVID-19.Immunity passports are a proposed way of allowing countries to begin to lift their coronavirus lockdowns in a targeted manner and resume economic activity. They would be issued to people who have already overcome a COVID-19 infection and test positive for antibodies to the virus, based on the assumption they are therefore immune.But in an update to its guidance, the WHO warned there was "no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection". ...