NATIONAL NEWS - The department of health on Tuesday launched South Africa’s long-awaited and the country’s first Covid vaccine certificate system – a move aligning SA to Europe and the United States.
The move has been hailed by tourism industry players as a step in the right direction.
Association of Southern African Travel Agents (Asata) chief executive Otto de Vries said Asata “has been advocating for a level of a globally recognised standard, simplicity and commonality in terms of how a lot of other markets are doing things”.
Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa national chair Rosemary Anderson said many of SA’s key source markets “have already or are in the process of implementing digital vaccine certificates or passports”.
“International travellers will feel more secure in visiting South Africa if standardised processes and protocols are followed.”
Vaccinated people can retrieve their digital vaccine certificate by going to the department of health website and selecting “Get my vaccine certificate”.
They will be required to enter their details, including an ID, passport or refugee seeker number and their electronic vaccination data system number. This is not the vaccine code people were issued when booking through the EVDS.
Those who received the Pfizer vaccine would have received two proof of vaccination codes.
Vaccine certificate: Here’s how to get yours
The National Department of Health quietly rolled out its Covid-19 vaccine certificate system on Tuesday, just days after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced it would be available soon.
If you are fully vaccinated, you are eligible to receive a digital vaccine certificate containing a QR code.
The code can be either downloaded or printed.
Vaccine certificate
Why is it needed?
Back in September, Ramaphosa said South Africa’s approach to the vaccine certificate is “informed by the World Health Organisation and in line with international best practice.”
He said a vaccine certificate or passport will streamline and standardise proof of vaccination and will go a long way towards getting a number of international travel restrictions eased.
Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla also previously said government was discussing compulsory Covid-19 vaccination for adults across the country.
Vaccine passports have already been introduced in other parts of the world. The European Union’s Digital Covid Certificate (EUDCC) is available to all 27 members of the EU.
Meanwhile, the United States utilises digital health records stored on smartphones, while China implemented its International Travel Health Certificate, and the UK has its own NHS Covid Pass.
How to get your vaccine certificate
The department said the QR code is not meant for general public use, but will instead be used by specific entities using a specialised QR scanner.
People who are fully vaccinated may request their vaccine certificates on the department of health’s website, by following this link.
Select ‘GET MY VACCINE CERTIFICATE’, and select your identify type from the drop-down menu: either RSA Identity Number, Passport Number, or Asylum Seeker/Refugee Number.
Then enter your proof of vaccination code. This would have been SMS’d to you after you received your vaccine. You will also need to submit your full name.
