Over one million people use Covid-19 Free Travel app developed by EDB Fund for Digital Initiatives

YEREVAN, October 20, /ARKA/. The number of users of the COVID-19 Free Travel app developed by the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Fund for Digital Initiatives has exceeded 1 million. The app has already been used to cross borders around 1.7 million times, Tigran Sargsyan, Vice Chairman of the EDB Management Board, told a press conference at the Sputnik News Agency, EDB said.

Passengers from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan must use the COVID-19 Free Travel app when entering Russia.

Around 6,359 labs have already signed up to the app: 88 in Armenia, 73 in Belarus, 3,659 in Russia, 1,647 in Kazakhstan, 199 in the Kyrgyz Republic, 128 in Tajikistan, 205 in Uzbekistan, 286 in Azerbaijan, and 72 in Moldova.

The app now makes it possible to upload and display the records of COVID-19 vaccination received in Armenia, Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Russia. Around 12,000 people have already used this option.

“We plan to increase the number of countries whose vaccination records can be uploaded to the app shortly. We also plan to make it possible to receive and display proofs of recovery from COVID-19,” said Tigran Sargsyan.

COVID-19 Free Travel is the first project by the EDB Fund for Digital Initiatives. Its aim is to allow people to move freely and safely between countries during the coronavirus pandemic. The app reduces the risk of spreading the disease and offers a reliable control system for cross-border travel. Its architecture is unique in that no personal data is used in information transfer. All user-related data are stored only in the country where the test took place, making it possible to protect personal data in accordance with national laws.

When a person is tested in the country of departure, the lab submits the result to the national system and it appears as a QR code in the app. When the QR codes are presented to third parties, including regulatory authorities in the EAEU countries, the app allows them to verify these codes in real time. The users can also show their test results as a QR code if required by hotels, restaurants or airlines, for example.

To upload a record of vaccination to the COVID-19 Free Travel app, the users need to select the Vaccination tab and scan the QR code on the vaccination certificate. The app is available in App Store, Google Play, and AppGallery (Huawei app store). 

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is an international financial institution promoting integration and development in its member countries. For 15 years, the Bank has worked to strengthen and broaden economic ties and foster comprehensive development in its member countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, and Tajikistan. The EDB's charter capital totals US $7 billion. The EDB’s portfolio mainly consists of projects with an integration effect in the areas of transport infrastructure, digitalisation, green energy, agriculture, industry, and mechanical engineering. The Bank adheres to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles in its operations. 

The Eurasian Development Bank’s Fund for Digital Initiatives was established by the Bank’s Council on 30 June 2020. The Fund’s objective is to assist EDB member states in creating digital transformation tools and practices by integrating their information resources and participating in the development and financing of projects, including those implemented under the Eurasian Economic Union’s Digital Agenda 2025.-0-