Vaccine certificates linked to Territory check in app after Noonamah Tavern admits check ins got away from them

LIFE will now be even easier for vaccinated Territorians who can now link their Covid-19 vaccination certificate to the Territory Check In app

UPDATE: LIFE will now be even easier for vaccinated Territorians who can now link their Covid-19 vaccination certificate to the Territory Check In app.

Territorians will be able to show their vaccination status upon entering a premises simply by using the check-in app rather than having to also show their digital certificate.

The new function came into effect on Wednesday morning ahead of the vaccine mandate later this week.

All existing proof of the certificate including hard copy and digital will remain valid.

Digital and Corporate Development Minister Paul Kirby said the new feature would further help businesses and Territorians do the right thing.

“We’re excited to announce there has been an update to the Territory check-in app so that as soon as you check-in you can in one easy step show you’re vaccine certificate,” Mr Kirby said.

“Now Territorians can provide proof of their vaccination as simply as checking in – with new updates to the Territory check-in app going live today.

“I do want to be really thankful to all Territorians, particularly over the last week, who have continued to check-in and please continue to do so.

“If we do have outbreaks in the Top End we have the capacity to track people down quickly, know who is and isn’t vaccinated and narrow down where we need to start our tracing.

“The new feature will help businesses and Territorians to continue doing the right thing. We really need all Territorians to get behind this.”

It comes after the Noonamah Tavern admitted monitoring customers’ check ins on Melbourne Cup Day got away from the venue.

Sophie Goodman of Rays Patisserie and Cafe said the app had been very easy and straightforward to use so far and would only become more useful with the update.

“It’s been very good for us to use, just very straightforward,” Ms Goodman said.

“Our customers have all been really good with using the app. We managed to stay open over the weekend which was great and now the app is set up we’re all good to go.”

EARLIER: THE owner of Noonamah Tavern has admitted monitoring customers using the Covid check-in got away from the venue on Melbourne Cup Day but says the Chief Minister was too harsh on the business.

The venue was declared a close contact exposure site after a 21-year-old woman, who tested positive for Covid, spent four hours there on Melbourne Cup Day.

Owner Tony Innes said there “wasn’t anywhere near” 350 people who attended the Noonamah Tavern on Melbourne Cup Day, as declared by Michael Gunner, but admitted staff were not vigilant enough with checking in.

“Firstly, I’d like to say I apologise. Checking got away from us that day,” he said on ABC Radio Darwin.

“Through most of the morning around 50-odd people checked in and there was a rush so to speak between sort of 12.30pm and 1.30pm.

“All locals are normally very good. They regularly check in without much reminding and obviously a lot of new faces on that day. And we’ve got four different ways you can get into the pub, bit hard to man all of them. You start asking people and it did got away from us. I admit that, we weren’t checking enough.

“I thought Mr Gunner had a fair dig at us, and perhaps we do deserve a bit of a bit of a rev up, but he sort of singled us out and no one else and I think it’s a little bit harsh.

“This woman managed to get from Melbourne to Adelaide to Cairns and Darwin while being in infectious and no one picked it up, so you know their systems aren’t exactly foolproof either.”

Mr Innes said in response, he would likely put on more staff when experiencing events such as Melbourne Cup Day to manage the flow through the venue.

However Mr Innes questioned why more scrutiny wasn’t being placed on the source case.

“This girl has caused chaos across four states. Are they going to reveal her name and name and shame her as well? She’s the cause of all of this,” he said.