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EESTI ELU reedel, 26. märtsil 2021 — Friday, March 26, 2021
Opinion: Vaccine passports are inevitable and Canada should prepare
– both in economic terms and in mobility. The faster we can open our borders safely, the quicker we can begin our return to normalcy. We should look to European e-governance leader, Estonia, whose all-female-led govern ment has already developed a secure solution in partnership with vaccine producers and the World Health Organization. International travellers will require proof of vaccination as early as this spring. British Airways announced this week that it will launch a digital vaccine passport on May 17, when the U.K. hopes to reopen to international travel. Proof of vaccination could conceivably be required for attendance at major sporting events and concerts in the U.S. The CDC recently announced new guidance that allows in dividuals who have been vacci nated to “interact with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.” The new recommendations open the door to the eventual
easing of restrictions on medium-to-large gatherings for vaccinated Americans – in a country that expects to have enough doses by the end of May to vaccinate every adult (though, for now, the CDC still recommends all Americans to avoid big, crowded events). If large Canadian venue operators and sports teams wish to open up, they may have to follow the U.S. example. By quickly developing and adopting a vaccination certifica tion strategy, we might acce lerate U.S.-Canada cross-border traffic and trade, open up air travel and speed up our transi tion from the current lockdown. Estonia has developed an out-of-the-box system in part nership with the World Health Organization, which the Baltic nation is piloting along with Iceland and Hungary at the mo ment. The system is compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation – mean ing that it exceeds all Canadian privacy requirements – and ensures that no personal data is transmitted through its block chain-based system. With this Estonian-developed system, people who are vacci nated receive a PDF QR code that can be presented on a
then, that a more than middleaged music lover still noodles on the keyboard to lift the spirits, to more modern music. And it started with ragtime, falling in love with the genre. “Maple Leaf Rag”, Scott Joplin’s mas terpiece is justifiably a classic. Not so easy to play. But after toil, time and trouble it was memorized, played with only a few errors. That success led to meeting a curious oddball, also underscor ing the age of your correspon dent. It was at Harbourfront, at their Silent Film Festival (yes Dorothy, there certainly were movies in black and white with no talking). But there was a pianist present. Horace Lapp. Also known as one of Canada’s best organists. Who had actually provided the musical backing in cinemas way back when. After the picture concluded the gracile guy had the courage to ap proach Mister Lapp and thank him, saying also that the piano was at present the instrument of choice. After the invitation – or was it a challenge? – to prove it, “Maple Leaf Rag” was exe cuted to almost perfection. Raising Horace’s eyebrows. We did become first name com padres. However, Lapp was, even for the time, a few eggs short of a carton. (That may be, as the slimster discovered after piano lessons at Horace’s Lakeshore Road apartment, his favourite external pursuit. Pelt ing neighbourhood cats with raw eggs. ) Other old-timers seen and
heard include Eubie Blake, an other ragtime great pianist, able to play flawlessly at the age of 95. Believe he lived to a hundred and five. A century and five days, that is. Oscar Peterson at the Ontario Place amphitheatre. Earl “Fatha” Hines at the won derful Chick’n’Deli. Still have an autographed album of his. Somewhere in the out-of-con trol collection in the storage room. Continuing with jazz – the incredible double bassist Charlie Haden. His Quartet West was a wowza band, but it was his duo work with great pianists such as Hank Jones and Brad Meldau that led to seeing him live at the TD Summer Jazz Festival. Another great bassist was Jaco Pastorius of Weather Report fame. T’was a surprise while fact-checking to discover that he, too, is in the great concert hall in the sky. Since 1987. Seems like only like yesterday that we were able to hear him. Now only on CD with Pat Metheny. Who, of the entire list above is fortunately still with us. Then the blues bit, both in the attempts to play ’em, not just live ’em and have ’em. Had to hear and see ’em for that. Now gone are guitarists B.B. King on his fab axe Lucille, Albert Collins (heard ’im in Chicago!). John Lee Hooker. Our own Jeff Healey, heard umpteen times at Albert’s Hall. Singer Dutch Mason, also at the Brunny’s legendary blues bar. Willie Dixon. Each and every
A pilot project led by Estonia uses technology that would protect privacy while accelerating our return to normal life Marcus Kolga, Maclean’s The need for vaccination passports for future inter national travel will soon become an inescapable reality. If Canadians wish to remain internationally mobile, we must proactively seek a solu tion that integrates interna tional standards and ensures the privacy of Canadian data. Vaccination certification is the next challenge on the road to global pandemic recovery. The Trudeau government must ensure Canadians are prepared for that eventuality. Prime Minister Trudeau’s concern about the “fairness” of vaccine passports, in that they could create classes of citizens with different freedoms, is under standable. His government will need to weigh the advice of health experts against the broader economic needs and those of Canadians in general. But as a practical matter, hesitating and delaying the need for some form of standardized vaccination certification will cost Canadians in the long run
Musical legacies It was the recent death of groundbreaking jazz/fusion pianist Chick Corea that got the slimster to thinking. (Dangerous practice, that. Avoid it at all costs.) On how many great musicians are no longer with us, but remain alive in their discographies, our vinyl, and tape and CD collections. Most vividly, though, in our memories, having seen, more precisely heard them live. In venues ranging from Massey Hall – or other classy such – to dingy dives. As in bars, good or bad, many no longer in existence. Albert’s Hall and the Hotel Izzy, to name but two. Missed, but not forgotten, just as with the musicians. There was a time when the lean machine hoped to master the 88 keys. Tickling the ivories, however, proved more of a challenge than expected. So did drumming. And strumming six strings. The only four-stringer that was somewhat mastered proved to be the ukulele. Go figure. Don Ho did not need to look out. During these hopeful years the movement from the im posed Beethoven, Bach and Brahms on the pi-a-no by Miss Klinck, a fearsome, large, hairylipped of unknown old age battle-axe, who only dressed in vast black dresses, or not know ing the term then, muumuus. (Can you imagine the psycho logical damage?) A surprise
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obile device or on a paper m version printed at home. The authenticity of the vaccination is linked back to the vaccine producers, multiple levels of government and local health authorities. No personal health information is linked to the certificate, which uses some thing called a “salted hash” to protect the unique code, which in turn simply provides confir mation that the holder has been vaccinated. The codes can be read at the airport using exist ing hardware, or any other Internet-enabled code reader. A standardized national vac cine passport that ensures privacy is necessary. The Esto nian-WHO developed solution is immediately available and would cost a fraction of what existing vaccine tracking soft ware costs. Its blockchain-based technology means that it can connect with otherwise disparate systems – meaning that differ ing municipal and provincial systems can be connected with the federal government, which can then connect with systems in other countries to facilitate international travel. An additional benefit of the system: it allows for the track ing of vaccine doses by bar codes and certifying their pro venance, from the producers to the health clinic where the vaccinations are administered – ensuring the efficient and equi table application of vaccines.
one a master of the genre, ac knowledged as the cream of the crop. Belgian master harpist Toots Thielemans. What con certs, energy-driven jams – classics. And of course, one cannot forget the long list of Estonian popular musicians, whose achievements still bring plea sure. Many, unlike Blake and Hines, never made it to a ripe old and still performing age. From Valgre and Pori on, cut down in their prime. The slen der one still enjoys listening to Mati Nuude, Silvi Vrait and even at times Jashka, Jaak Joala. All with memorable recordings. Chick Corea reached fame and prominence working with
Chick Corea.
Current systems in the U.S. and Canada are experiencing signifi cant challenges leading to vac cination delays and greater in fection. This week in York Region, north of Toronto, hun dreds of excess doses were shipped to one area, while shortages affected most other regions. The Estonian system would allow authorities to spot such imbalances in real-time and allow them to quickly ad just. How vaccine passports are applied by local governments and businesses is indeed a mat ter of broader debate. However, by adopting this technology, Canada would then be prepared to apply it to other domestic uses – such as concerts and sporting events – in a way that ensures privacy and security for all Canadians. Canada can benefit by look ing to Estonia’s proven track record and expertise in develop ing secure e-government tech nology and should consider its vaccination certification system to ensure the future mobility of Canadians. (Marcus Kolga is a CanadianEstonian human rights activist and an expert on foreign disinformation and influence operations. He is a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Insti tute.)
Miles Davis, not only playing, but writing tunes for the master trumpeter, in fact bringing Latin jazz with his compositions on the classic album “Sketches of Spain”, other following LPs into public awareness. But it was his work with the seminal band “Return to Forever” that these ears will remember. And while death, as in the case of Corea, does trigger rem iniscences, gotta be thankful that with recorded memories these stellar musicians remain alive and vital. Just as Brahms and Beethoven are still around. And appreciated for their con tributions towards achieving solitary bliss. With headphones on. Natch. OTEPÄÄ SLIM
Photo: Ice Boy Tell, Wikimedia Commons
