What we know about the “healthy corridor” tested in the French application

The government will test a new function for TousAntiCovid, called TousAntiCovid-Carnet, with people who want to travel between the capital, the Outer Territories and Corsica. The function is the same as the European Commission recommends, in implementing a “health permit” in the European Union.

TousAntiCovid-Carnet: Here’s what’s new « Sanitary tool That the government has decided to test, we learned in a statement sent on Sunday, April 18, 2021. More information should be provided during a press conference held the following day, April 19.

What is TousAntiCovid-Carnet?

Even if the outlines are still blurry at the time of writing, it is already possible to outline some of the main lines of this new project.

It seems that the goal of TousAntiCovid-Carnet is that every user of the TousAntiCovid app can register within this. notebook »Presumptive information about his health.

According to the first information published by the Secretary of State responsible for digital transformation and electronic communications, it could contain:

• « Proof of a negative or positive test “, First ;
• « An attested certificate of vaccination “, In the near future.

What is the desired goal?

« In the short term, this new functionality of the TousAntiCovid app will particularly facilitate travel between the capital and the outer regions and Corsica, and then with other European Union countries. “The government writes in its press release.

The use of the word “facilitation” indicates that it is clear that this function will not, for the time being at least, be the only way to travel outside of the Capital Territory.

When will TousAntiCovid-Carnet tests begin, and under what conditions?

« France is now starting to pilot the “notebook” functionality in TousAntiCovid The official statement confirmed. These tests will be done first “On flights to Corsica and beyond.” From the city. As of April 19, the option had not yet been added to TousAntiCovid when Numerama opened the app.

« These trials will test technology and determine the best use by the passengers and personnel responsible for verifying these certificates. », Sets the ministry.

What is TousAntiCovid again?

TousAntiCovid is an app previously known as StopCovid, and is believed to help track the spread of Covid-19 across the French population more easily. It has been downloaded 14.76 million times as of April 19, 2021, which equates to one in three adults in France.

In theory, TousAntiCovid is supposed to record a contact between two people (thanks to their smartphone’s bluetooth) so that they can then warn one of them if the other is positive for coronavirus. Actually, it’s more complicated.

TousAntiCovid downloads a large number of times, but that doesn’t mean much because it is not known how many users activate the app on a daily basis. We know, on the other hand, that TousAntiCovid has already sent out 171,000 notifications that are likely to contact users within nine months, for the 275,000 people who declared positive in the app. So this represents less than one notice sent by someone who declared positive.

How will the information be stored in TousAntiCovid-Carnet?

That’s one of the ministry’s remaining questions at its Monday press conference. In the first press release we are talking about storing this information. Digitally (in app) and securely », Without further details.

Will the test result (positive or negative) be stored locally only on the user’s phone?

Towards a European “health permit” or a “green certificate”?

Emmanuel Macron has indicated that a health permit could be launched for months. In February, he instead raised the idea of ​​using this card to log lanes of users in public places, so why not use a QR code to scan – System Which seems to be set aside at the end Now in the executive branch strategy.

At that time, the president wanted to differentiate between ” Passing health ” The ” Permissibility of vaccination », Which may make access to some public places subject to vaccination. ” If we could reopen these places sometime in the spring, we wouldn’t be able to require them to get vaccinated even though we wouldn’t have opened the vaccine to the youngest. He has said.

With TousAntiCovid-Carnet, the government doesn’t seem to be talking, at the moment, about public spaces, but about trips in and out of the territory. It is stated, for example, that in the medium term, this’ New functionality for TousAntiCovid application “It will make it easier to travel” With other European Union countries ».

This appears consistent with a recent proposal by the European Commission, which wants to introduce a green passport within the European Union. This ” Green certificate Next to the QR code, it will be allowed. Justification for Covid-19 vaccination, negative PCR test or, also, post-infection immunity », Locates vie-publique.fr. The certificate proposed by the committee can be submitted on paper or on a smartphone.

Required application?

It seems likely that TousAntiCovid-Carnet will never be the only solution duty For short, medium or long term travel. In fact, not everyone owns a smartphone (77% of French people own a smartphone, according to The 2019 study); So it would be impossible for a digital certificate to one day become the only way to travel outside of the territory.

This is what the European Commission proposes with its proposal on green certification, with specifying that It can fit in a smartphone or in a paper document ».

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