Last update: April 29th, 2021.
Bahrain’s digital COVID-19 vaccine passport has been officially available since mid-February 2021 and is one of the first coronavirus health certificates in the world to be implemented.
The initiative, which incorporated state-of-the-art technology to allow travel, can be considered a trial scheme for other countries that are planning to roll out similar COVID passes.
So, is the Bahrain COVID certificate a hit or miss?
How does the Bahraini COVID certificate work?
All the vaccines currently available in Bahrain require 2 doses and each dose is to be administered 21 days apart.
Once the second dose has been received, Bahrainis have to wait 14 days for antibodies to fully form and them to be considered fully vaccinated. Only after 2 weeks have passed can an individual receive their COVID vaccination certificate.
The health passport, along with a ‘green shield’, can be authenticated through a QR code that is linked to the country’s vaccination database. The Bahraini green shield allows citizens entrance to selected public spaces like cinemas and indoor dining.
BeAware, the mobile app linked to Bahrain’s COVID Pass
The Beware app has 4 color-coded shields to indicate citizens’ vaccination phase:
- Grey: Not vaccinated
- Red: First dose received
- Yellow: The second dose received
- Green: Fully vaccinated and 14 days have passed.
After the first version of the app was scrutinized for its security risks, the Bahrain COVID certificate now only contains basic personal information. This includes the individual’s name, birthdate, nationality, and the type of vaccine they received.
Bahrain, a pioneer country during the pandemic
Bahrain was one of the first countries to launch a digital vaccine monitoring system. The BeAware app was introduced during the onset of the pandemic and its initial purpose was for contact tracing.
When the country gave the green light for vaccinations, in November 2020, the app also facilitated vaccination bookings. The first phase saw that the vaccine was available to health care workers and later to all residents and citizens of Bahrain over the age of 18.
Bahrain became the first country to make vaccination appointments available via a mobile app, where Bahrainis can also choose between 4 vaccines when making their appointment: Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, or Sputnik V.
BeAware App under fire
The BeAware app came under scrutiny at first as Amnesty International saw it as one of the most invasive track and trace apps around.
Claudio Guarnieri, Head of Amnesty International’s Security Lab said: “Bahrain, Kuwait, and Norway have run roughshod over people’s privacy, with highly invasive surveillance tools, which go far beyond what is justified in efforts to tackle COVID-19. Privacy must not be another casualty as governments rush to roll out apps.”
During Bahrain’s initial lockdown, the government launched a television program called “Are You at Home?”. This nationwide TV game show was aimed to encourage citizens to download the contact trace app as they would then be automatically entered into the show.
Once the show goes live, contestants are phoned on-air and prompted to prove they are complying with Bahrain’s lockdown rules. They stand the chance to win 1,000 Bahraini dinars (around US$2,600).
Privacy advocates expressed their concern. Most recently, individuals can choose to opt-out of being entered.
By August of 2020, nearly 1,000,000 people have downloaded the app as it offers state-of-the-art vaccination booking systems, while the green shield has soon become an essential part of Bahraini reality.
Another world first: Bahrain-Israeli treaty
In another world first, Bahrain and Israel have created a bilateral COVID passport agreement. This arrangement will allow vaccine passport holders from both nations to travel quarantine-free between the countries.
Ilan Fluss, Head of Israel’s Foreign Ministry Economic Division, said that although countries are all seeking test results, it is simply not enough. “This [agreement] is the most effective way to enable movement of people between countries.”
What distinguishes this agreement from other travel bubbles is that the QR codes from each country’s app will be recognized in the other. Israel will also issue citizens from Bahrain with their domestic Israeli Green Pass, which will allow them to enter public venues.
The Bahrain-Israel arrangement is expected to greatly promote tourism and strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
Vaccinated Bahrain citizens: Experience so far
Nationals of Bahrain experienced their most drastic increase in COVID-19 cases over July and October 2020, but since the introduction of their vaccine program, their daily new cases have gone up by double.
This contradictory statistic does not take away from the fact that they have however launched one of the most successful vaccination campaigns globally. Within weeks, they had the third-highest vaccination rate per capita globally.
Since March 2020, they have transformed the Sitra Mall into a massive vaccination center as most shops have been closed since the start of the pandemic.
They also launched a campaign where mobile vaccination units would provide inoculations to bed-bound and elderly citizens.