How to get the P.E.I. Vax Pass, and how it'll work
The province unveiled more details on how the P.E.I.'s Vax Pass will work during a technical briefing Friday.
As a COVID-19 pandemic precaution, starting next Tuesday, Oct. 5, the pass will be required for entry into a number of public places, including restaurants and concerts.
Anyone trying to get the pass will have to go through the province's COVID-19 Immunization Record portal online.
Islanders will be asked for their health card number, as well as their name and date of birth. After which they'll be able to download the pass.
At the time of publication, the site will show the person's name and COVID-19 vaccine history. This version is printable and can be used to show vaccination status.
In the coming weeks there will be a two-page document. The first page will show the person's name, date of birth and a QR code with their vaccine information. Inside the QR code is a key that verifies the information is accurate.
The other page is a wallet-size document with the QR code, name and date of birth.
P.E.I. Vax Pass App for businesses
For the moment, businesses and people will have to deal with the paper-based version before the QR version is phased in. People will have to present either physical or digital version along with an ID.
Later, businesses will be encouraged to transition to a verifier app, which will be available on app stores later this month.
The P.E.I. Vax Pass Verifier App won't store any information except for usage data, such as the number of times its performed a scan. It will be free to download.
The app is only meant to be used on P.E.I.
For travel outside the Island, P.E.I. residents will have to use the screenshotted version or printed version.
A legal order will come into effect next week. People and businesses repeatedly failing to comply with the pass policy will be warned first, after which they could face fines.
But the province will take an education-based approach to enforcement, with a sort of grace period being provided as the pass is rolled out.
They'll be looking at many factors before deciding to phase the pass out, including case counts across the country and vaccination rates on the Island.
