Christine Macqueen

The coronavirus crisis continues to wreak havoc on the lives of citizens and the economy in Scotland. The singular challenge for the Scottish Government now is how to effectively manage the continued spread of Covid-19 while progressively returning to something resembling ‘normal life’. There is no easy answer to this question, but it is becoming apparent better approaches to managing its spread must be found.

Across the UK, officials are still heavily relying on the blunt instrument of lockdown to control the virus. The extreme disruption this causes to lives and livelihoods cannot be underestimated. As new coronavirus cases in Scotland steadily escalate back to heights not seen since the outset of the crisis, and with the end of crucial economic support mechanisms like the furlough scheme in sight, how can Scotland manage the virus, help ensure the safety of citizens and safeguard the economy?

Increasingly, mass testing is being pointed to as part of the answer. Testing at airports, for instance, is being actively considered as a means of avoiding two-week quarantine measures. With the accuracy and speed of Covid tests progressing by leaps and bounds – certain tests are now capable of being analysed in just 12 minutes – it is possible we could soon get a real-time picture of infections across the country.

However, if eventually hundreds of thousands of tests are being carried out per day, as UK ministers have committed to, it is inevitable that fraud will find its way into the system. The urge to falsify test results may prove irresistible. Moreover, not all test providers adhere to the same system of personal protection and data privacy. The integrity of any testing regime, and related track-and-trace efforts, could be fatally compromised without effective security.

The solution to this is to introduce individual secured health passports. In this system, test results are accessible via an individual’s smartphone or in fully secure hard copy counterpart. A tamper-proof QR code is provided to the user which can be scanned to verify testing history and results. Data is privacy protected and secured within the QR code itself, with a digital security seal protected by blockchain to ensure the code is universally and independently verifiable for the desired duration.

The flexibility of health passports offers additional advantages. Verification is possible offline, and data is updateable and revocable; new categories of data can be incrementally added, for example, to validate individual vaccination status when inoculations are eventually rolled-out. They can also be adapted to meet other evolving needs, such as facilitating individualised health approaches.

Moreover, this technology is ready to be deployed right now and is already being used to prove the authenticity of diplomas and qualifications. SICPA is a leading digital security partner to industry and governments worldwide and we are working across the globe to introduce health passport technology in diverse areas like the international shipping industry and sports leagues. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has made strong calls in recent weeks to see health passports introduced alongside greater testing. Officials could explore integrating health passport capability into Scotland’s new contact-tracing app.

Whatever shape the testing regime takes north of the border, secured health passports should be deployed to ensure the utmost accuracy and robustness. Health passports can safeguard the wellbeing of citizens, restore the economy and release NHS and social care resources to meet other pressing challenges. It is a solution that is needed in Scotland now more than ever.

Christine Macqueen, Director of Corporate Affairs, SICPA