People urged to continue using Check In Qld app as Covid cases rise in Toowoomba

While many have embraced the state government’s mask mandate, it would seem complacency in using the Check In Qld app has crept into shoppers in the Garden City. Details:

Check in complacency has crept into the Garden City as Covid case numbers continue to rise.

While Toowoomba has largely complied with the Queensland Government’s mask mandate for indoor retail and hospitality, an investigation by The Chronicle can reveal more than one third of people entering busy CBD stores are failing to use the Check In Qld app.

During the busy lunch period yesterday, about 45.2 per cent of shoppers walked past the various QR codes asking them to check in.

Of the 498 people spotted entering the CBD’s main shopping centre and busy stores within the centre, 225 people failed to use the check-in app.

QR codes and masks in the Toowoomba CBD as covid case numbers increase, Thursday, December 30, 2021. Picture: Kevin Farmer

People entering the Margaret Street entrance of the city’s main CBD shopping centre remained the biggest QR dodgers with 91.8 per cent of people walking past them.

A total of 29.2 per cent of people entered a supermarket without checking in, while 37 per cent failed to check in at a leading retail store.

On August 10, a similar investigation by The Chronicle found 39.7 per cent of people had failed to use the Check In Qld app upon entering the shopping centre or same stores.

Yesterday the state’s chief health officer Dr John Gerrard urged people to continue using the QR check in codes despite the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee reviewing the process of contact tracing.

QR codes and masks in the Toowoomba CBD as covid case numbers increase, Thursday, December 30, 2021. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Dr Gerrard said those who had been at an exposure site were being contacted by Queensland Health but this might change in the coming days.

“All of these issues containing to contact tracing are currently under review,” he said.

“Whether there are changes to the way we use it will come out in the next few days.”

Copper Bench owner Tenzin Norbu said before the new rules came into effect he was nervous about how his customers would respond, but in the two weeks since they came into effect the reception had been positive.

“About 80 per cent of the people who come in are regulars who know us and everyone has been really understanding,” he said.

“There’s only been a couple of times where people haven’t been able to show the green tick, but there were no issues.

“The biggest difficulty has been putting on another person so we could have the takeaway window open, but it works out better for us that people can order their takeaway coffee there.”