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Coronavirus: Only CovScanCyprus can be used to check SafePass(updated)

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The only approved app businesses and venues should use to check the validity of a SafePass is CovScanCyprus, the Ministry for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy said Tuesday.

In a statement, the ministry said that validity checks for the EU Digital Covid Certificate (Eudcc) for the purposes of the SafePass are carried out exclusively with the CovScanCyprus developed by the Cyprus government.

Use of any other similar apps is not permitted.

At the same time, members of the public can either use the corresponding app CovPass, or a printout of their Eudcc certificate with a visible QR code.

“CovScanCyprus is a customised application which displays indications concerning the validity of the certificate, applying the criteria that are set by the Republic of Cyprus,” the statement said.

It also recalled that for a certificate to be considered valid, where using the CovScan app, two necessary conditions apply: the app must be updated to the latest version (done through the app’s settings); and the national (Cypriot) control rules must be updated via the Trusted Public Keys.

The last date and time of update is indicated at the end of the Settings menu, under the ‘Reload’ option.

Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Kyriacos Kokkinos told the Cyprus Mail that only the CovScan Cyprus app can be used because its settings are keyed to the SafePass rules applicable here in Cyprus.

“For instance, if you tried to use here the app issued by authorities in Greece, the app would generate a different colour [representing a person’s vaccination status] when scanned by a shop or business – because the protocols are different in Greece.

“So our purple colour might be red in Greece.”

The updated CovScan measures came into force on December 18, and there are now five colour categories corresponding to a person’s vaccination status and thus access to certain venues: green, blue, yellow/orange, red – and the most recent addition, purple.

The purples are the partially vaccinated.

Kokkinos also clarified that Tuesday’s statement by the ministry does not mean that use of the CovScan app is mandatory – but rather, that if one does use an app for the purposes of a SafePass, the app must be the Cypriot one.

Anyone, regardless of age, may still display a paper printout of the Eudcc – provided it has a scannable QR code. Or alternatively, download a PDF file of the Eudcc onto their mobile phone, and display that.

“In fact, I’d advise people to carry with them a paper printout with the QR code anyway, as for whatever reason your mobile phone or the app itself might not work at the time,” Kokkinos said.

 

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