Healthcare policy/innovation: Biron Groupe Santé wants to bet on the electronic health passport. 

The French company Biron Groupe Santé wants to be a part of the solution for the implementation of electronic health passports, which will allow travelers to provide information on their health status to the authorities of the country they visit. This formula could be used during events or activities as well.

"We know that the 'digitization' of health care paths is starting," Annie Cornellier, Biron's director of project management and operations, said to the Journal. "It's for traveling and events," she continued.

People can currently obtain ePassports through two apps: CommonPass (The Commons Project) and Travel Pass (IATA).

"In the United States, there are already concerts for people who have been vaccinated". According to Ms. Cornellier, in some cases, officials will use this type of passport to legitimize the results.

Le Journal reports that numerous festivals and performances this summer, including Lollapalooza and Bruce Springsteen shows, required registrants to present a negative test or proof of immunization.

Air France’s project

Air France recently announced the commencement of a pilot project in Quebec to digitize COVID-19 test result data for its routes between Montreal and Paris.

Air France planes at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on March 24, 2020. © REUTERS - Charles Platiau

This initiative is being carried out in conjunction with Biron and is planned to be launched on July 15. Travelers at Montréal-Trudeau Airport are invited to test the IATA Travel Pass application for free on a voluntary basis.

Biron's role is to perform the tests on travelers and transmit the results to their account on the application.

Users may check the country's entrance requirements and get and record their COVID-19 lab test results all in one location thanks to this solution.

Screening tests are currently being conducted at the Biron facility at the Montreal-Trudeau airport. You must, however, book an appointment. For people over the age of 11 who have not been vaccinated or who have only received one dose, the PCR test can be done on the day of departure.

Air France guarantees that any health-related data obtained will not be transmitted and will instead be maintained in the application.

According to Ms. Cornellier, other carriers are currently considering following suit. This digital approach makes it possible, in particular, to avoid false tests. Despite the vaccinations, the director believes that several countries will continue to require proof of health.

"We are having discussions with several partners in the industry about the development of digital journeys. (...) This is one of the solutions that will allow a return to normal safety”, according to Ms. Cornellier. "Clearly, the future will go through technology," she concludes.