With the new Delta variants of COVID surging around the globe, it’s never been more important to ensure that travel is safe, both for the traveler and for the locals of the destination they’re visiting. The island nation of Malta, located in the Mediterranean Sea south of Italy, has launched a new program to help make travel to their country safer and easier.
Malta is partnering with the travel app VeriFLY to offer travelers an easy and convenient way to upload their health information and documents, allowing for a smooth entry process onto the island.
A statement from the Malta Tourism Authority states,
“Travelers from the US to Malta will have the opportunity to verify their wellness and provide other documentation, as required by the Maltese Health Authorities, through the VeriFLY app which helps to streamline the COVID-19 vaccine, documentation validation, and displays results in a clear, reader-friendly manner.”
This is an especially great option for travelers from America who are hoping to keep their CDC cards safe. With America only providing a paper card for vaccine verification, it makes it extremely vulnerable to tarnish, damage, and tears. And with rumors of a Pfizer booster shot on the horizon, it’s very likely that Americans will need to keep their CDC cards to be marked in once again when the booster is administered.
Furthermore, having your COVID information in one centralized spot will hopefully encourage other nations to join in, creating an easier way to someday travel internationally, needing nothing but an app on your phone.
The release from the Malta Tourism Authority concludes with a quote from MTA CEO Johann Buttigieg, stating, “The MTA is proud to reach this agreement with VeriFLY, which will make it now easier for tourists from the USA to visit Malta, by providing a one-stop-shop for the tourists to submit all the required documentation before their departure. This will mean that tourists will leave with peace of mind from their airports of origin, knowing that all their paperwork is in order, thus starting their relaxing holiday from the moment they step onto the aircraft.”