The Check In CBR app will roll out alerts for people who have visited exposure locations, as Canberra continues to report cases infectious in the community.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"The new exposure location alert feature responds to feedback from the community," Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said in a statement.
"Adding these alerts will make it easier for Canberrans to act quickly if they have potentially been exposed to COVID-19 and help limit the spread of the virus in the community."
The update will see users notified via SMS or push notifications when their Check In CBR history matches up with exposure sites, information on whether it was a close, casual or monitor for symptoms exposure will also be given.
"Check In CBR has proved to be a vitally important for our contact tracing teams, with data used daily to contact people who might be a contact from an exposure location," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
READ MORE COVID-19 NEWS:
A new card will be introduced as an alternative for those who don't have a smartphone, or are unable to download the app.
Venues have been able to check in patrons who don't have the app so far but "that isn't an ideal solution," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
"Each Check In CBR card will have its own unique QR code and customers will simply present it to be scanned using the Check In CBR business profile."
The information collected this way will be stored the same way as data collected through the app, and the person's name and phone number are also recorded so if a business isn't able to scan the QR card, they can enter details manually.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said on Wednesday that vaccination status would not be linked to the Check In CBR app.
"They are very difficult to verify, easily corrupted, and don't necessarily deliver any of the great public health or vaccination encouragement benefits that some might be claiming," Mr Barr said.
READ MORE:
Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram