New York City Quietly Discontinued Its $64 Million Covid Vaccine Passport App Called "Excelsior Pass"
The program was enforced for over two years by Mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams, and it successfully restricted access to multiple indoor facilities unless people showed their proof of vaccination.
During the coronavirus pandemic, we watched some truly ridiculous mandates and rules being enforced on American citizens. Some cities even had a curfew, while others instilled a vaccine passport. The Excelsior Pass was a mobile vaccine passport program launched by New York State in early 2021. As part of the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic, the app was used as a digital tool to provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid test, supposedly facilitating safer gatherings and reopening of the economy.
The app was a key component of the "Key to NYC" vaccine passport program, enforced by Mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams for over two years. It was designed to restrict access to indoor facilities such as restaurants, gyms, and entertainment venues to those who had received the coronavirus vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, or had a recent negative test.
Users of the Excelsior Pass were required to download the app and input their personal information, including their vaccine status or recent test results. Once the information was verified, the app generated a QR code that could be presented at establishments requiring proof of vaccination or negative test status. The app quickly became a staple in New York City, with the vast majority of businesses adhering to the program out of either support for the initiative or fear of potential governmental shutdown. Many politicians claimed that this app played a big role in returning the city back to normal, but the whole thing has been quietly shut down.
New York City Quietly Discontinued Its $64 Million Covid Vaccine Passport App
New York State officials announced on Friday the discontinuation of their controversial mobile vaccine passport program, the Excelsior Pass, citing reduced demand for access to digital coronavirus test and vaccine records. Since its inception in early 2021, the program exceeded its original $2.5 million budget, ballooning to $17 million and then to an estimated total of $64 million spent on contracts with IBM, Deloitte, and Boston Consulting Group.
The significant expenditure associated with the app has raised eyebrows; reportedly, the financial details disclose that Deloitte and Boston Consulting Group billed taxpayers around $200 million for marketing and buildout costs since 2021. IBM, in addition to its share, has charged approximately $200,000 per month in data storage fees since 2021.
The taxpayer money directed toward the development of the Excelsior Pass has since become the subject of a state inspector general's investigation, according to the Times Union. This development follows previous controversies involving New York officials and coronavirus-related contracts. Last year, Governor Kathy Hochul came under scrutiny for awarding a personal mega-donor with over $600 million in no-bid contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE).
Despite the authoritarian undertones of the movement pass system, most New Yorkers accommodated the program, with only a minority protesting against it. While some viewed the Excelsior Pass as a necessary tool to curb the spread of the virus, others saw it as an infringement on personal freedoms. The differing opinions reflect the broader debates about the balance between public health and personal liberties amid the pandemic.
However, the decision to shut down the Excelsior Pass signifies a potential shift in the management of the pandemic. As officials announced, the program will cease to be available after July 28, 2023. The discontinuation of the Excelsior Pass may reflect the decrease in Covid cases or a shift in public sentiment about vaccine passports and related initiatives. Yet, it also highlights the need for careful planning and budget management in crisis response to prevent potential misuse of public funds.
Many see this as a call for policymakers to be more transparent and fiscally responsible in the future, but very few are confident that the shutdown of this app will encourage them to change their ways. After years of infringing on people's freedoms, it seems insulting at best that the city would quietly get rid of the passport program without any explanation at all, considering how much unnecessary turmoil and tyranny they put their citizens through with the program.
Evie deserves to be heard. Support our cause and help women reclaim their femininity by subscribing today.