Covid-19: NI passport scheme helpline getting 3,000 calls a day

A helpline set up to address problems with getting a Covid-19 vaccination certificate is getting 3,000 calls a day, the Department of Health has said.

Proof of vaccination, a negative test or a positive PCR test in the past 30 to 180 days is needed to access some venues and events.

Eddie O'Neill, director of the Covid Certification Service, said about 200 staff work on the helpline.

Almost 50,000 applications have been made for a certificate since Monday.

Mr O'Neill said it had been "incredibly busy".

The helpline gives advice and is also for those who cannot apply online or do not have a smartphone to request a paper certificate.

"What hospitality needs is an easy solution that they can quickly scan and know whether people have a valid certificate or not," Mr O'Neill told BBC News NI.

"If everyone comes and registers now, QR codes are the way to do that.

"We have designers reviewing the whole journey from end to end to see if there are improvements that can be made."

From 29 November, either proof of vaccination, a negative lateral flow test or a positive PCR test is needed for access to:

The Department of Health has said that as an "interim measure" vaccine cards issued to people after their first vaccination can be accepted as proof.

It also said the EU Digital Covid Certificate is acceptable in Northern Ireland hospitality venues - the scanner app used by venues can recognise the EU QR codes because it "is linked to EU public key infrastructure".

However people using the EU certificate will need photo ID to accompany it.

Questions have been raised as to how people will be able to provide proof of a negative lateral flow test result in the previous 48 hours or proof of recovery from a recent positive PCR test.

Mr O'Neill said a solution was being drawn up to check those who have had a PCR test.

"We are linking up with the test registry and will be able to get them a certificate which will look the same as those with the vaccine one," he said.

"For those who have been on a vaccine trial, they will also be able to get certificate in the same way and there will be a service for clinical exemption for those who need it through the phone line."

He said proof of a negative lateral flow test was proving more problematic.

"We are looking for a digital solution where we can get a temporary QR code available," he said.

"For the moment lateral flow device tests can be verified through the NHS portal online or people can be supervised and have one on site.

"With lateral flow devices there is a potential option to look at a reader that reads the test result for you in real time which lessens the chance of a fraudulent uploading.

"If the numbers get high a consideration could be supervised lateral flow tests."

He said there had been evidence of some people providing fraudulent vaccine cards.

"It's never going to be 100% secure but the idea is you try to make sure you have as few people with infection spreading it to others to try to keep the R rate low," he said.

He said he "would hope that the domestic use isn't going to be prolonged, so hopefully this winter would be the end of it," but added there were no guarantees.

One business owner told the programme said he had tried to help his customers get ready for 13 December when the grace period is over.

Peter McCleary of the Sugar Cane cafe in County Down said some customers were having difficulty with the process.

"One hundred percent of them have been people without smartphones and email addresses.

"I have a 91-year-old customer who comes in every day and she hasn't a clue how to do this. I don't want to have to turn her away. I could be the only person she speaks to all day. I want her to feel comfortable and be able to get in," he said.

The helpline is 0300 200 7814 and is open from 08:00 GMT until 20:00.

The department also has an animation online there which helps explain what to do.

Published on Monday afternoon, the regulations said businesses must have a system for checking people "as soon as is reasonably practicable" when they enter premises.