World News – AU – McGowan unveils QR code app as check-in for venues that are mandatory in WA

From the 5th. Western Australians are required to check-in at most public places by December 31st to improve WA’s contact tracing capabilities in the US Coronavirus outbreak event.

Prime Minister Mark McGowan announced the government’s QR code app on Wednesday, saying it will require contact tracing in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, places of worship, beauticians, cinemas, zoos, hotels, gyms, libraries and home inspections.

« We have been working with industry on these measures over the past few weeks . . . It is designed to ensure we have a proper register of people visiting these premises so that we are COVID-safe and can contact us if we have an outbreak in WA, « he said.

« We don’t have COVID, which is a great thing, but we just want to be prepared in case we get an outbreak. « 

WA Health Secretary Roger Cook said the SafeWA app developed by the Department of Health would only save a person’s data for 28 days or two COVID-19 incubation cycles.

« The data is encrypted at the time of acquisition . . . The business and venue operators do not have access to your check-in and personal information and these are not sold or given away for commercial purposes, « he said.

« [The data] will only be accessed in the event of an outbreak and only for health workers. « 

From the 5th. A manual system must be in place for those who do not have the QR code app or for businesses that do not use the app.

Companies that want to use the app register and print out their unique QR code, which is then placed at the entrance to the venue.

Customers who have previously downloaded the app scan the QR code when entering it with their smartphone to automatically register their name, contact details and the time they visited the venue.

Below is the full list of companies and venues that will be responsible for maintaining the contact registers from Jan.. December are required:

Western Australia, Mark McGowan, QR code, contact tracking