Staff Reporter
Government has decentralised the activation of the QR codes on the COVID-19 vaccination cards and has announced that only citizens travelling outside the country will be given first preference to activate their cards.
In a statement yesterday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Jasper Chimedza said the Ministry has commenced the exercise to activate QR codes because they are now a requirement for one to travel to some countries.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care, as part of its COVID-19 vaccination roll out effort, created a secure COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate which provided for electronic authentication of the vaccination record. Due to the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to urgently rollout the COVID-19 vaccination program, the latest COVID-19 vaccination certificates were issued with pre-printed QR codes that are blank and require to be activated by loading electronic data onto them. The Ministry has now commenced an exercise to activate these QR codes which are now a requirement for travel to some countries,” reads the statement.
Dr Chimedza added that the activation of the QR codes on the vaccination cards will be done first for individuals who will be travelling outside the country.
“However, given that the number of people who have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to date is now exceeding 5 million, we are currently reserving this functionality to individuals travelling out of the country while plans are being made to open this up to the greater public,” said Dr Chimedza.
The Permanent Secretary further said that for the convenience of the public, the Ministry has begun the process of decentralising the activation process for travellers and will be releasing updated lists of activation centres countrywide.
In Harare, people can have their cards activated at Harare PMD offices, Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, Parirenyatwa Central Hospital, Chitungwiza Central Hospital and Robert Mugabe International airport.
