HARTFORD, Conn. — On Monday, Gov. Ned Lamont mentioned looking into an additional way to verify residents' vaccination status or negative COVID-19 test digitally.
“I think to make it easier for businesses, maybe we are to have some sort of validation system," Lamont said. "Excelsior is what they’re using in New York, that would allow for restaurants bars and particularly allow employers a little easier way to verify that people who say they’re vaccinated are vaccinated."
The system he is referring to is accessed through a cellphone, which means you can leave your paper vaccination cards at home.
FOX61 spoke to some residents who said this could be a good thing.
"It helps a lot when you need to go somewhere, you don’t need to carry or if you have a travel, you don’t need to carry a vaccination card that sometimes you would lose it, so I’m with it” said Rasha Alkhoruy of Farmington.
However, some others don’t think it’s needed anymore.
“I know New York and other states have an app on your phones to be vaccinated, but I don’t think it’s that necessary anymore," said James Mercaldo of West Hartford. "I think COVID-19 is on the downfall."
The governor's office is in the very early stages of exploring different verification tools that would not be a requirement, but rather a resource.
Individuals would be able to use these tools to prove their vaccine statue for entry at various venues, restaurants and bars that do require proof.
Scott Dolch, Executive Director of the CT Resturant Association said any mandates would hurt the restaurant business.
“We’ve seen the challenges in New York," Dolch told FOX61. "When you start mandating it, you put it at the forefront, the restaurant owner operator having to police it."
However, with no no official word on when or even if a vaccine passport will be rolled out, having a method like this could help bigger accommodate bigger companies.
“I think that large scale caterers may look at this as an option to give to their clients and say hey we can do this as part of a bigger event we’re not going to mandate it but just to be quicker and safer so that you know,” said Dolch
This would be in addition to other methods like showing your card, providing a photo of your card, and other online methods companies have used.
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