Woolworths station staff outside Victorian stores to increase QR code check-in rates

The major supermarket chains have made a major change at Victorian stores to help shoppers to do one crucial thing in fighting the latest outbreak.

Australia’s major supermarket chains have stationed workers outside their Victorian stores in a bid to help contact tracers during the state’s latest Covid lockdown.

It comes less than a week after the state government admitted a contact tracing bungle resulted in the wrong supermarket being listed as an exposure site.

A customer took to the Woolworths Facebook page to request staff be placed out the front of all stores to increase the number of people who scanned the QR code check‐in on entry.

“Compliance in my local store went from about 5 per cent to 95 per cent once I suggested it to the manager there,” Melissa Dowsett wrote.

People loaded up with supplies in Melbourne before last week’s lockdown came into place. Picture: David Crosling

A Woolworths staffer responded and said it had passed on her suggestion.

But a spokesman for the supermarket told NCA NewsWire that policy was already in place during periods of concern.

“Following the latest community outbreak, we’ve reintroduced health ambassadors across our Victorian store network,” he said.

“Health ambassadors wipe down trolleys and baskets and monitor customer numbers as needed.

“They also inform shoppers about our COVID‐safe measures, including the option to use our voluntary customer check‐in on the Victorian government’s QR code system.”

Shopping centres have become somewhat of an epicentre for residents during every Australian lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Shoppers are not legally required to log their movements when they enter a supermarket in the state, with the government simply advising it was “highly recommended”.

A Coles spokeswoman said the company encouraged customers to check‐in when they entered any store by scanning the QR code on display at every entry and at the check-outs.

“If customers cannot use the QR codes or Service Victoria App, a check‐in register is available at the service desk,” she said.

Woolworths in Epping North has been listed as a Covid exposure site. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

The Victorian government was forced to admit last week its contact tracing team “fell down” again after it took almost two weeks to realise they had the wrong Woolworths store.

The health department originally listed Woolworths Epping as an exposure site due to an online banking app transaction record.

But it was Woolworths Epping North more than 4km away that the positive case actually visited, with the contact tracers taking almost two weeks to realise the bungle.

Health officials say there is “no evidence” linking the mistake to a fresh Covid outbreak in Melbourne’s north.