Digital 'health passport' trials under way to aid reopening of borders

[PAXboy]

I have seen a few articles about these but not yet mentioned in here.
A new digital “health passport” is to be piloted by a small number of passengers flying from the UK to the US for the first time next week under plans for a global framework for Covid-safe air travel. The CommonPass system, backed by the World Economic Forum (WEF), is designed to create a common international standard for passengers to demonstrate they do not have coronavirus.
Plenty of arguments on both sides, of course.
The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/17/digital-health-passport-trials-commonpass-travel-covid-19)

[Pistonprop]

One being that if you don't have it today does not mean you won't have it tomorrow. Complete waste of time!

[Mr Mac]

Paxboy
But will it Blue and have United Kingdom on it !!! I will get my coat on the way out :)
Cheers
Mr Mac

[PAXboy]

Everyone is trying something ...
The Transport Secretary says he is "very hopeful" a new testing regime for travellers to the UK can be in place by 1 December, reducing the amount of time people need to spend in quarantine.

Grant Shapps said it could happen as long as there was enough testing capacity to support the plan.

The government has been consulting on a system where passengers would be tested after just a week of isolation.

But BA's new boss wants testing before departure, not quarantine on arrival.

BBC web news (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54599302)

[PAXboy]

This is about airport testing but it seems sensible to keep these reports on testing the same place.
BBC news (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54604100)

The rapid saliva swab, which is now available at Heathrow Terminals 2 and 5, is known as a Lamp (Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification) test.British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific will now offer it to customers.

A Lamp test is quicker than the PCR test, which is widely used in the NHS, because the sample does not need to be sent to a laboratory.

Collinson, the company behind the initiative at Heathrow, admitted that the Lamp test is "slightly less sensitive" than the PCR test.

However, the Lamp test is considered to be much better than another rapid option - the antigen test.

[Asturias56]

They're talking about £ 80 per passenger - but elsewhere I've seen that doctors reckon is only costs £ 10

[Paul Lupp]

An "ordinary" UK Citizen still cannot fly to the USA (or Canada) as they have closed their borders to us.... kind-of catch-22 situation. Have a test that nobody can usefully use to gain entry, or relax entry requirements on a proviso that does not yet exist.....

[paulc]

Most countries have entry restrictions that preclude visitors anyway. No point having something from home that says you are covid free if your intended destination has quarantine rules, cost implications or a ban on tourists.