The Queensland Government Check-in Qld app will be mandatory for cab, limo and ridesharing across Queensland to be displayed starting Monday August 30th to aid contact tracing.
Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said the recent case of a COVID positive taxi driver in Cairns has shown why a mandate was so necessary.
“It is important that everyone does their part to protect our lifestyle in Queensland,” said the premier.
“The first instance in NSW’s spiral eruption was a Bondi limo driver transporting flight crews.
“Initially restricted to Sydney’s eastern suburbs, it quickly spread to the city and the surrounding areas.
“When expanding the range of the Check-In Qld app to include taxis, limousines and carpooling, it is simply a matter of security.
“We anticipate cases may arise from time to time and our job is to deal with them as quickly as possible.
“It’s a very difficult situation right now and all we’re doing is protecting the Queenslanders.”
Minister of Health and Ambulance, Yvette D’Ath, said time is of the essence if a positive COVID case is detected in the community.
“Anything we can do to help our team of contract trackers quickly identify where positive cases have arisen and who they have come into contact with will help us keep community transmission to a minimum,” said Mrs. D’Ath.
“This additional, precautionary, small step could definitely help prevent the next COVID outbreak in Queensland.”
Almost 20,000 limousines, taxis and booked rental cars are in use in Queensland.
Minister of Transportation and Major Highways Mark Bailey said the taxi, limo and rideshare industries support the Check In Qld app.
“Taxi, limo and rideshare drivers and operators are already taking steps to protect Queenslanders in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19,” Bailey said.
“The introduction of mandatory QR codes is a sensible step to further protect drivers who provide an important service for the community and their customers.
“We thank the industry for their understanding and cooperation in further improving Queensland’s contact tracing capabilities.”
Digital Economy Secretary Leeanne Enoch said the Check In Qld app is extremely popular with businesses and customers in Queensland, with more than 304 million check-ins in nearly 185,000 companies and locations across the state.
“Queenslanders understand the importance of contact tracing in our ongoing battle against COVID-19, which we can see in their enthusiastic adoption and use of the app with visits across the state, from restaurants, pubs and cafes to hairdressers, libraries and gyms. ”said Ms. Enoch.
“Taxi, limousine and carpooling opportunities can complete their registration in a few simple steps via the Check-In Qld app website.”
The data collected via the free and contactless Check In Qld is securely stored for 56 days and only accessed for the purpose of tracking contacts.
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