QR code check in rates increase in Toowoomba CBD as southeast Qld comes out of Covid lockdown

With southeast Queensland coming out of lockdown, an investigation has found shoppers in the Toowoomba CBD have lifted their check in rates, but only slightly.

QR check in compliance has increased in the Toowoomba CBD, but only slightly.

On July 31 this year, an investigation by The Chronicle found in one morning almost half of people across the CBD ignored the QR code for the Check In Qld app, with 41 per cent of people shopping at busy stores walking past the QR codes.

Of the 512 people spotted entering shops in the CBD between 9.45am and 12.30pm, a total of 210 walked past QR codes asking them to check-in.

In a follow-up investigation conducted on Monday at the same times and same places, The Chronicle found that of 456 people entering the stores, 181 didn’t check in, a rate of 39.7 per cent.

Shoppers walking past a QR check in code in the Toowoomba CBD. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Between the first Covid check-in investigation and the second, southeast Queensland was plunged into a hard lockdown to contain an outbreak of the Delta strain.

People entering the main entrance to the city’s main CBD shopping centre remained the worst QR dodgers, with 89.4 per cent walking past the QR code without checking in, compared to 88.1 per cent on July 31.

The entrance once again recorded the highest rate of compliance with only 16.2 per cent of shoppers not checking in, a reduction compared to 19.6 per cent at the end of July.

Check in rates were slightly down at a popular cafe, with 36.4 per cent of patrons not signing in, and at a supermarket, where 32.8 per cent of shoppers ignored the signs to check in.

A Queensland Health spokesman said the Check in Qld app had been an invaluable tool in supporting contact tracing efforts, but was only effective if it was used by members of the community.

“It’s important these businesses and the community use the Check In Qld app,” the spokesman said.

“This helps to make contact tracing faster and more reliable in the event of an outbreak.

“Our contact tracers work around the clock to achieve the best possible health outcome for all Queenslanders, and they have done an incredible job so far in locating and contacting close contacts of confirmed cases so quickly.

“We thank Queenslanders for doing their part to minimise the spread of Covid-19 by downloading the Check In Qld app and checking in. This app is all about keeping Queenslanders safe and helping our contact tracers when there is an increased risk of Covid-19 in our community.”

At a press conference on Monday morning Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the state recorded five new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, all of them in southeast Queensland, as restrictions from a snap lockdown began to ease.