Health Passports – biosurveillance and pervasive health monitoring to be rolled out

By Rob Woodward – TruePublica: VST Enterprises Ltd (VSTE) the British cybersecurity company founded by tech entrepreneur Louis-James Davis announced recently that a ‘sports health passport’ style app was now in play to help kick start attendance at all British sporting events over the coming months as Britain emerges and recovers from Covid-19. VSTE want to be part of economic upturn by facilitating crowds to be able to go to sporting events. They are starting off with ‘health passports for football, rugby, cricket, horse-racing, golf and the F1 season. But it doesn’t end there.

“The ‘V-COVID™’ digital health passport is a truly unique way in which all football and rugby clubs, major sporting events and sports governing bodies can implement a simple and highly effective universal system to ensure fan safety at sporting events following the gradual phased lifting of restrictions. Using the health app in conjunction with an official Government /Department Of Health sanctioned Covid-19 testing kit, a series of authentications and permissions are acknowledged to validate the test results.”

It all sounds great, doesn’t it?

The first warning bell comes in the guise of a press release that says -“Football and rugby clubs in the Premier and Football League can issue the ‘V-COVID™’ digital health passport app (or an App that uses the VCode® technology for the purposes of the Health Passport) to all fans through their existing fan database channels and social media,  signing up for the app which would be free.”

The app would be used in conjunction with a Government/Department Of Health approved COVID-19 testing kit administered by a Doctor or healthcare professional that confirms and validates whether the holder has been tested “negative” or “positive” for the Coronavirus or has the antibody present. In the future, it will include confirmation that they are, for instance, vaccinated.

The press release goes on to say – “Once vaccinated it will be permanent proof of being virus free and protected.” The technology boasts military-grade security systems, has the ability to geo-locate, geo-fence, track, authenticate and provides permission-based authorisations (lock you in or out). VSTE is backed by the UK government.

The health passport itself is described as an end-all tech that can store every sensitive detail about your life – “Assign any form of information to your own VCode® securely. Your VCode® can store anything from identity details, in case of emergency information, health records, payment methods, car registration numbers, business card details, social media links and much more all from the same code.”

 

 

It wasn’t long before that idea of getting sporting events moving before it moved onto enabling NHS workers to get back to work. The App provides a traffic light system so entry into a hospital can be denied if the person carrying VSTE’s new ‘VCode’ health passport gives a red light.

The intention is to roll out the health passport, with the assistance of its partner Redstrike to all key workers to help unlock the lockdown. A different press release announces that the digital health passport is – “a game-changer in rapidly speeding up the process of getting critical care key workers and frontline staff back into the NHS and in our hospitals. As a digital healthcare passport, it will also be a critically important asset in getting our other key workers in the blue light emergency services such as police, fire and ambulance services and the military returning back to operational duties quickly and effectively.”

As you get through the press release – it starts to dawn on you that Britain’s race to use biosurveillance on every person in the UK is about to become a reality: “then ‘V-COVID™’ digital health passport can be used under strict guidelines to gradually bring back other essential workers and the rest of the UK workforce.”

 

 

Importantly ‘V-COVID can be used as a health passport for regular screening and testing of all viruses – or indeed any health-related or personal issue. Even more importantly, it has the ability to lock out any individual from using any government or local authority services – in fact, anything at all – like libraries, airports, paying for anything in shops, attending meetings and so on. It can also lock you in by geofencing so you can access services inside certain areas but not outside of it.

The press release then ends with these ominous words: “Eventually all UK citizens would take the coronavirus test with ‘V-COVID™’ and then either remain in self-isolation or return to work.”

Once this system is in force, any government department, employer or organisation can demand to see your health passport, lock you out for not having one or for any other reason that the government decides – simply by the creation of a red code. It also means that once a vaccine has been approved by the government – you’ll be forced to have one – to get the digital health passport.

 

Thermal scanners

In another operation currently underway, thermal scanners are being installed all over the world. Most particularly at airports. They don’t work and have zero ability of telling anything other than skin temperature. Anyone with the slightest medical training will tell you – it’s not possible for this to determine if you have a disease.

Thermal scanners are currently being trialled at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2 immigration hall and Bournemouth Airport, and claim to detect if a person has a fever a key symptom of coronavirus.

They’re also now being used by some employers and we know Amazon UK is using thermal surveillance on staff.

Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch said that thermal cameras are a “lurch towards biosurveillance and pervasive health monitoring”. She continued:

“There’s a lack of scientific evidence to support their use and the WHO, among other world experts, has cautioned against temperature screening for coronavirus. The airports are simply using them for security theatre in an attempt to get business going again.”

One wonders what Ms Carlo might say when she reads that digital health passports could be issued very soon and all they want from you is your health records, social media accounts, where you go, who with, when, where and why – before they allow you to enter the building?

 

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