New South Wales Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello praised the QR code check-in system, making it a priority to make its use mandatory in hospitality businesses and hair salons during 2021.
If businesses do not use the NSW service's QR code check-in system, they face fines of $5,000, closure of the business for a week and, if the venue fails to comply further, potentially closure of the business for a month.
“The consequences of non-compliance and complacency when it comes to electronic record keeping are serious – it puts people’s health at risk and destroys jobs,” Dominello.
“The feedback we have received from contact tracers is that NSW QR codes are the most effective system to help NSW Health protect the community from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our QR code also prevents the use of false names, as a customer’s personal details are automatically captured through the Service NSW app when they scan smartphone through the QR code.”
Government advice on check-in arrangements states that customers who do not have the app can register via an online form.
The mandatory use of the Service NSW QR code was first announced last week, with Dominello adding on Wednesday that more than 50,000 businesses had already signed up and 2 million people had used.
NSW is considering whether to make its use mandatory in other sectors later this year.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday where 18 new positive cases were identified in the state in the past 24 hours, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said use of the app would allow for contact tracing should the need arise, allow people to move quickly indoors and outdoors, and reduce the chances of gathering around business, particularly on New Year's Eve.
Sydney residents are encouraged to "limit non-essential gatherings over the New Year period where possible".
Meanwhile, at the federal level, the Commonwealth continued to push the expensive and problematic COVIDSafe app. The app has cost millions to create.
A recent report on Victoria's contact tracing system said the app's effectiveness was not particularly significant. Despite an analysis of the COVIDSafe app outside the scope of the study , it noted that there was no evidence to suggest the app was effective or contributed to supporting Victoria's public health
Information source: zdnet.com
