Governor of Alabama bans mandatory coronavirus passports

World

Published: 2021-05-26 14:21

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 12:26


Governor of Alabama bans mandatory coronavirus passports
Governor of Alabama bans mandatory coronavirus passports

The Governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, Monday signed a bill prohibiting private businesses and public institutions from requiring coronavirus passports in order to access services.

The bill stipulates that public institutions -such as schools or universities- may not issue vaccine passports, passes, or any other documentation for the purpose of certifying the immunization status of individuals.

In addition, it denies these establishments from requiring publications or sharing similar health records for individuals.

Ivey said, "I am supportive of a voluntary vaccine, and by signing this bill into law, I am only further solidifying that conviction."

She encouraged everyone to get the coronavirus jab, noting she has received the vaccine herself as it gave her "peace of mind."

"Roll up [your] sleeves."

In turn, The Alabama Republican party said the bill protects the "privacy rights of Alabamians from the federal overreach of the Biden administration."

Notably, the Biden administration opposed the idea of making COVID-19 passports compulsory.

The law will go into effect immediately.

According to the Mayo Clinic, 29 percent of Alabamians are fully vaccinate and 36 percent have received one dose.