Cape Town – South Africa has launched its Covid-19 digital vaccination certificate, a few days after President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the country would soon have standardised proof of vaccination to facilitate travel, access to establishments and other activities.
The health department launched the system on Tuesday without public or media announcement.
“This is the official South African Covid-19 Vaccine Certificate System Portal.
“Only people who are Covid-19 vaccinated can retrieve their Covid-19 Vaccine Digital Certificate
“The QR Code generated is not intended to be readable by the general public, it is meant to be used by entities requiring to verify the card’s validity, using a Vaccine Certificate System inbuilt QR scanner which will be available in the near future,” the department wrote on its website.
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President Ramaphosa moved the country to lockdown level 1 on September 30 and made an announcement that the department of health would soon be rolling out a vaccination certificate, which will provide a secure and verifiable proof of vaccination.
“It can be used to facilitate travel, access to establishments and gatherings and other forms of activity that require proof of vaccination status.
“Our approach is informed by World Health Organisation guidelines and is in line with international best practice.
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“Streamlining and standardising proof of vaccination will also go a long way towards getting a number of international travel restrictions both from and into our country eased,” Ramaphosa said.
Minister of Health Joe Phaahla explained recently that vaccine certificates were simply immunisation certificates aimed at making sure that residents protected each other, and not to punish South Africans.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
