IRELAND’S COVID-19 TRACKER app will be updated to allow people to store and display the EU Digital Covid Cert.

The digital wallet facility in the app is due to be in place between 19-24 July, broadly in line with the return of international travel and the reopening of indoor hospitality – for people who can produce verifiable evidence of vaccination or immunity from Covid-19.

The wallet feature is designed to make it convenient for people to carry their digital Covid cert. However, it is not essential, as a PDF file or printed copy of the cert’s QR code will be accepted, senior government official Liz Canavan told an Oireachtas Committee today.

The Digital Covid Cert provides proof that someone has either: Been vaccinated with one of the EU’s approved jabs, recovered from a Covid-19 infection in the past six months or has received a recent negative PCR test.

The cert’s QR code stores each individual’s vaccination status and it can be transferred by photocopy, print or photograph. 

Fully vaccinated people began receiving their Digital Covid Certificates this week. People who were vaccinated via the HSE portal are receiving their certs via email. Those who were vaccinated by their GP or in a pharmacy are receiving it in the post.

Approximately 160,000 paper vaccine certs were sent via post yesterday, with more sent out in batches throughout the week. Around one million certs will be issued via email between yesterday and tomorrow. A total of 1.8 million certs are expected to be delivered by next Monday.

Those receiving their cert by email will find it contained in a ‘Do not reply’ message from the Department of Health. The email will also have a cover note explaining what the certificate is. 

A call centre will be set up from 19 July where people can request the Digital Covid Cert. The call centre will also handle requests from people who previously had Covid-19 and wish to apply for “recovery certs”.

The committee heard that all the other features in the Covid Tracker app, such as the exposure notification system, can be turned off for people who only want to use it to store their EU Digital Covid Cert.