Vax passport trial launched in four towns ahead of State rollout

The new vaccine passport, which will be incorporated into the Service NSW app, will be trialled from Monday in four regional towns. Is your town one of them?

A vaccine passport trial will begin in four different regions from Monday, with a statewide rollout of the world-first technology to occur in less than two weeks.

Up to 500 people in Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Wagga Wagga and Lismore will be the first to display their Covid-19 digital vaccination certificate on the Service NSW app as part of the trial.

The passport will allow ­venues such as pubs and clubs and other businesses to check whether a patron is vaccinated as they sign in, with the statewide rollout on track to occur on October 18.

Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the closed pilot involved clubs and aged-care facilities, as well as selected taxi companies with those given access to the passport limited to ­selected staff and visitors.

Trials for the new vaccine passport will begin in four regional NSW towns. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The vaccine passport is ­designed to help businesses navigate the public health ­orders whereby only vaccin­ated people are be allowed in to a venue.

The information contained in the app consolidates already publicly available data which can be accessed via the Medicare Express Plus app, downloading to a digital wallet or through a request for a paper copy from Services Australia.

Mr Toole said the passport technology allowed people to show proof of their vaccination status at the same time as they checked in.

“Up to 500 customers, to be selected by the businesses ­involved, will participate in the pilot across Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Wagga Wagga and Lismore,” he said. “Customers will have the convenience of checking in to a venue and showing proof of vaccination status on the one app.”

While the NSW government has been criticised for not having the passport ready in time for the state’s reopening on Monday, it is understood authorities only received the Australian immunisation data that was critical to the trial on September 28. And it was only on October 1 when it could be accessed via the app.

Tamworth will be one of the towns to trial the new vaccine passport.

Digital and Customer Service Minister Victor Domin­ello said while it was already possible to display your vaccination certificate, linking it to the Service NSW app made it easier for the six million people already using the technology to sign in. He said integrating the certificate into the app would be optional.

“There are already three ways to download your vaccination passport so this is about making life easier for the people and businesses of NSW as we safely open back up,” Mr Dominello said. “We have ­already begun successfully testing internally ahead of the regional pilot but we also need to ensure we have the right checks and balances in place.”

While the government is set to open up to unvaccinated people in December, it is ­expected the passport will continue to play a key role in checking people’s vaccination status when travelling interstate or when restrictions may need to be reintroduced.

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