Some of the early executive orders signed by President Joe Biden focused on responses to the pandemic, including the introduction of a mask mandate on federal property and another for travelers on planes, buses, trains, public transportation and those traveling through transit hubs. This includes an order instructing government agencies to assess the ‘feasibility’ of building a digital ‘vaccine passport’ for those who have been immunized, which will hopefully simplify the documentation process, The New York Times reports.
“It’s about digitizing a process that’s happening now and transforming it into something that allows for more harmony and convenience, making it easier for people to travel between countries without pulling out different papers for different countries, ” Nick Careen, Senior Vice President for Airports, Passengers, Freight and Security at the International Air Transport Association [IATA] and leader of the organization’s travel travel initiative, tells The times.