Coronavirus: Trial period for SafePass scan begins

The CovScan application trial period began on Monday as businesses have been mandated that by November 22 they must scan each patron’s SafePass using it.

The move, announced earlier this month, will see the SafePass be digitally checked for proof of compliance with the measures.

The ‘Digital Green Certificate’ – the EU document with the QR code which is being scanned – was originally billed as a means to reopen and facilitate international travel.

“It is aimed to facilitate travel through bringing a coordinated approach on different documents and certificates offered by different Member States,” an EU Commission official told the Cyprus Mail at the time.

But, they added that: “Member States may decide on different usages nationally” – which in turn led to Cyprus’ implementing the certificate for domestic use.

Last week, both the health ministry and Deputy Minister for Innovation Kyriacos Kokkinos said that discussions were underway for arrangements for those who do not have a smart phone and people over 65 who cannot present the digital SafePass or the QR code in print form.

It was back on May 5 – during the final lockdown – that the pass (at that point known as the ‘Coronapass’) was announced.

There was initial opposition from some businesses – primarily that they were being forced to become the ‘police officers of the state’ – but almost all have since conformed and the SafePass check is now just another duty for the members of staff.

Those who do not check customer SafePasses face a fine.

Other venues were in favour from the beginning, in a desperate plea for the government to allow them to reopen – in an effort to ditch the strict measures which were in force at the time.

More recently, head of small businesses association Povek, Stefanos Koursaris told CyBC that, once again, the state is transferring the responsibility of checks onto them.

On the other hand, secretary of the retailers’ association, Marios Antoniou said the application was very easy to use and that it was important to implement all measures for the common good.

The application, CovScan Cyprus, can be downloaded free of charge on any appliance with Android operating system through Google Play.