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With covid restrictions steadily being removed, the phrase 'vaccine passport' is now regularly being mentioned as a potential way of speeding up that process.
The latest statistics show that 52,265 doses of covid vaccine have so far been administered in Jersey, with 9,129 being a second dose.
The question is, whether those who have been vaccinated should be allowed more freedoms, perhaps in the form of shorter travel isolation rules, than those who haven't.
Ministers, such as Senator Lyndon Farnham, have suggested that such a regime - which could involve people who have been inoculated avoiding the 'triple test' requirement to isolate for 0, 5 or 10 days, depending on where they arrive from - is a priority.
From 26 April, the ‘traffic light’ system will apply to anyone entering Jersey from the British Isles, then from 17 May, Jersey will begin applying the system to all jurisdictions, minus those on the UK’s ‘banned’ list.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the border reopening plans earlier this month, Senator Farnham said that establishing a vaccine passport system, in conjunction with a review of the ‘triple-test’ border controls, was “very high on the agenda."
Such moves would likely find support in the tourism and hospitality trades, where businesses are desperate to find ways of welcoming their customers once again.
This week, Madeira is reported to have implemented a "green corridor" for tourists who have recovered from covid-19 in the previous 90 days or who have been fully vaccinated against it.
And the UK is looking at whether some form of vaccine passport could be used to get people back in pubs and clubs.
Such a move comes with both legal and ethical issues to resolve, something which was the subject of this week's Bailiwick Podcast with Advocate David Cadin, the Managing Partner of Bedell Cristin Jersey.
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