ALBANY, N.Y. — New York State says 1 million people so far have downloaded an Excelsior pass since its launch in March.
The first-in-the-nation free, voluntary platform provides proof of a COVID-19 vaccine and is available 15 days after a person gets their final dose. Starting today, the pass is now good for 365 days, an increase from 180 days. Those who already have a vaccination pass can get a new one in order to take advantage of the extension.
"After a long and incredibly difficult year, New Yorkers are finally returning to normal life and getting back to work amid rising vaccination rates, and the first-in-the-nation Excelsior Pass is a key part of that restoration of normalcy," Governor Cuomo said.
"The fact that we've so quickly achieved a milestone—more than 1 million passes issued—speaks to New Yorkers' desire to resume many of the activities they've given up over the past year and is good news for bringing our economy back and building a stronger state for the future. New Yorkers are ready for the new normal, and the Excelsior Pass will help them get there until we can defeat this terrible pandemic for good."
The state says under new guidance, certain businesses and events may require proof of vaccination and the Excelsior Pass is an easy, verifiable option. Sahlen Field and KeyBank Center are among the venues using the passes to safely get fans back in the seats.
Here are some other things to know about the Excelsior Pass:
- Excelsior Pass is a free, voluntary, and secure way to retrieve proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results and users' data is kept confidential and secure at all times.
- At this time, Passes are only available for those who have received their COVID-19 Vaccination or PCR/Antigen tests in the State of New York.
- An Excelsior COVID-19 Vaccination Pass, available 15 days after the final dose of the vaccine was administered, is valid for 365 days.
- An Excelsior COVID-19 PCR Test Pass is valid until midnight on the third day after a test.
- An Excelsior COVID-19 Antigen Test Pass is valid for 6 hours from the time of a test.
- Each Pass contains cryptographic signatures that ensure that it is genuine and that no data-tampering has occurred.
- Excelsior Pass is accompanied by a Help Desk with extensive resources, multi-language access, and is able to be printed for those who may not own Smartphones.
- New Yorkers always have the option of using other forms of proof, like a CDC card or physical laboratory test results, directly at a business or venue.
You can get started to get your pass here.