Michelle Del Rey is reporting for the Times Union nearly 80,000 of New York state’s original COVID-19 Excelsior passes are set to expire on June 30 for e-certificates received after March 1. This has prompted state health officials  to encourage those vaccinated to get the latest version of the Excelsior Pass Plus app. Many of the original electronic passes issued over the past year have already expired, but the state no longer requires restaurants and entertainment venues demand proof of vaccination to enter. At this point, requiring someone to provide a coronavirus vaccination record is so rare that it is unclear why the state is continuing to promote the Excelsior app. An exception is the state Capitol and Legislative Office Building in Albany, where visitors still must show a proof of vaccination to enter. But that policy has its caveats and security officers will allow someone with an expired Excelsior app to enter the government complex. According to the state Department of Health, there are no plans for the "Plus Pass" to be discontinued. They noted it also can be used out of state. As of March 1, nearly 733,000 upgraded versions of the pass have been obtained in New York. Since then Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration launched the Excelsior Pass initiative in 2021, more than 10.8 million passes have been issued, including more than 3.9 million Plus Passes. There are no major differences between the original pass and the latest version. The Plus Pass can be obtained by anyone who has had the initial vaccination series on file in the New York State Immunization Information System. Despite receiving vaccines and booster shots, breakthrough infections still occur. Masks are still required to be worn on most public transportation across New York — but not on airlines — and in some in-state facilities. Read more in the Times Union.