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Exclusive | Cathay Pacific and Prenetics to launch London-Hong Kong digital health passport in October in bid to ease travel
- Pilot project, which starts on the Hong Kong-London route, will allow travellers to show their negative Covid-19 test results on a mobile app before boarding
- Premier League renews Prenetics’ contract to test players in the new football season
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Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong start-up Prenetics are set to launch a digital health passport that allows travellers to show their negative Covid-19 test results on a mobile app before boarding, potentially easing international travel and establishing a new model to help airlines and airports ride out the health crisis.
The pilot will kick-off on the Hong Kong-London route from October, Prenetics told the South China Morning Post. The partners are working in collaboration with Swiss-based non-profit The Commons Project, which is backed by the Rockefeller Foundation.
International travel is gradually restarting as governments negotiate to lift border restrictions and scramble to resurrect trade and their moribund tourist industries.
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The Hong Kong government said on September 8 that it was working towards forming travel bubbles with 11 countries. It was also the first time in months that the administration had provided an update on re-establishing international travel links, coinciding with a drop in coronavirus infections across the city.
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However, the government’s announcement raised questions as to the practicalities and safety of such a move. Travellers will need a secure and verifiable way to document their health status as they travel and cross borders.
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