WASHINGTON — More and more places around the U.S. are requiring proof of vaccination for certain activities since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Monday. Even before that though, many restaurants around the country had some sort of vaccine requirement for those who wanted to dine in.
Now instead of having to drag a vaccination card when someone goes out, the restaurant reservation app OpenTable is partnering with biometric company CLEAR to help diners create a digital vaccination passport within their app.
Now, when users make a reservation in the app at restaurants with vaccine requirements, a banner will appear at the bottom of the screen. That will lead users to a page where they can input all their vaccine information and create a digital card, which will be completely free.
"Now more than ever, it is important that the people and experiences which make up the lifeblood of our communities safely stay open for business," CLEAR chief executive officer Caryn Seidman-Becker said in a press release. "We are proud to work with OpenTable to make it easy and safe for diners and restaurants to come back together during this time."
The companies expect the feature to launch sometime in September or October. The digital card will complement other features the app already has in place, like "verified for entry," which helps restaurants see what diners have met their individual dine-in requirements.
To see which restaurants near you have vaccination requirements, you can check OpenTable's website here.