COVID certificate ordinance adopted in Switzerland
The first EU-compatible certificates for vaccinated, cured or tested persons will be issued as scheduled by the Swiss Confederation in June
The first COVID certificates for vaccinated, healed or tested persons will be issued as planned by the Swiss Confederation in June.
At its meeting on Friday, June 4, the Federal Council adopted the ordinance on COVID certificates, which constitutes the legal basis for the issuance of these certificates.
In addition to the form and content of the certificates, it regulates the competencies of the Confederation and the cantons with regard to their issuance, the guidelines for their verification as well as their compatibility with the “EU digital COVID certificate”. The ordinance enters into force on 7 June 2021.
The Federal Office of Information Technology and Telecommunication (FOITT) establishes a system for issuing and verifying COVID certificates.
With the Ordinance on Certificates of Vaccination against COVID19, recovery from COVID19 or the result of a COVID19 test (Ordinance on COVID19 Certificates), the Federal Council creates the legal basis for issuing such documents. The certificates will be issued in paper and electronic format.
Verordnung über Zertifikate zum Nachweis einer Covid-19-Impfung, einer Covid-19-Genesung oder eines Covid-19-Testergebnisses (Covid-19-Verordnung Zertifikate)
Erläuterungen zur Verordnung über Zertifikate zum Nachweis einer Covid-19-Impfung, einer Covid-19-Genesung oder eines Covid-19-Testergebnisses
Both variants contain the necessary information in the form of an unsupported readable text and a QR code to prevent forgery.
They also contain an electronic signature of the Confederation, which enables secure verification of the certificate, during which no personal data are transmitted or stored.
To ensure a high level of security, the systems for COVID certificates are currently undergoing a robustness test by experts and interested parties as part of a public security evaluation test.
The first certificates will be issued in stages starting on 7 June 2021 and made available to the population by the end of June at the latest.
Close cooperation between the Confederation and the cantons
The cantons define the institutions in the health sector that will be able to issue COVID certificates. They designate as issuers specialized personnel (in vaccination and testing centers, hospitals and doctors’ offices, pharmacies, etc.) who will issue certificates at the request of vaccinated, cured or tested persons who have tested negative.
The Confederation provides a system for issuing, verifying and revoking COVID certificates, which allows connection to existing information systems (e.g. systems used in the field of vaccination and testing) so that digital certificates can also be issued.
It supports the cantons in the introduction of the solution and the corresponding organizational adjustments.
Ordonnance sur les certificats attestant la vaccination contre le COVID19, la guérison du COVID-19 ou la réalisation d’un test de dépistage du COVID-19 (Ordonnance COVID-19 certificats)
Commentaire concernant l’ordonnance sur les certificats attestant la vaccination contre le COVID-19, la guérison du COVID-19 ou la réalisation d’un test de dépistage du COVID-19
Storage and verification of all Coronavirus certificates
The system specifically includes the “COVID Certificate” app for storage and the “COVID Certificate Check” app for certificate verification. Both will be made available free of charge in the official Google and Apple app stores.
Thanks to the “COVID Certificate” app, COVID certificate holders can take the digital version with them and show it at any time.
The COVID certificate found in the app is equivalent to the certificate in paper format.
COVID Certificates held on paper or in the “COVID Certificate Check” application can be checked: the person carrying out the check can only view the first name, last name, date of birth and the indication of the validity of the COVID Certificate.
Here’s how Switzerland’s COVID certificate will work
Data protection and compatibility with the European Union
The certificate issuing system provided by the FOITT takes data protection aspects into account.
Personal data is not stored centrally by the federal administration and the data required for the electronic signing of the certificate is deleted from the federal system as soon as the certificate has been generated and transmitted.
In addition, the federal solution is compatible with the system provided by the EU, i.e. the “EU COVID digital certificate”, and enables the mutual recognition of certificates.
Phased introduction beginning Monday, June 7, 2021
The COVID19 certificate ordinance enters into force on June 7, 2021. From this date, the certification system will be phased in and will be operational throughout Switzerland by the end of June.
The ordinance is based on Article 6a of the COVID19 Act, which gives the Federal Council the authority to determine the requirements for the document certifying successful anti-COVID19 vaccination, recovery from a cororavirus infection, or a negative COVID19 test result.
Circumstances under which a COVID certificate must be shown, for example to participate in an event, and any subsequent lifting of restrictions are not the subject of the ordinance.
The cantons were consulted on the draft ordinance and informed about the technical aspects of COVID certificates even before the consultation.
I don’t understand what these covid certificates are for and why Switzerland has to issue stuff compatible with the European Union.