Another aspect is that states continue to try prioritising and children are still outliers. I suspect people getting vaccinated will be more like a wave motion (eg vehicular traffic crossing a major city with signals every block) than a flood (vehicular traffic on a freeway).
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I think someone already made mention of the NSW government COVID check-in card, which is offered as an alternative to things like
- using a smartphone
- the business checks you in electronically by asking you for your details
for those customers who, for example, donāt have a smartphone. Unfortunately I canāt find that earlier discussion so Iāll just post this here.
This card takes the form of an actual plastic card with your first name printed on it and a QR code on it. (You can also download it as a PDF if you fancy trying your hand at making your own card.)
The card will only be usable at business premises who have the necessary app / software installed. As we are in lockdown that is mostly an academic question but I am yet to notice premises advertising this capability.
The obvious question from a privacy and identity theft perspective is: What information is in the QR code?
Here is the answer:
{"firstName":"xxxx","lastName":"xxxx","phone":"9999","phoneInternational":"","international":""}
i.e. itās JSON and where obviously xxxx and 9999 are replaced by the actual values, and where my example doesnāt cover the international case but what is this thing called an āinternational travellerā anyway?
So thatās no better and no worse than other forms of check-in (which is a good thing).
The JSON is actually Base64 encoded. Iāve decoded it for the purposes of expounding here. The NSW government laughably claims
The content on the card is encoded to help reduce the risk of someone reading the information.
but that might be overstating it. Yes, it will prevent casual browsers. No, it certainly will not prevent any criminal element intent on misuse. Fortunately the data is so minimal that I donāt think criminals will be very interested. I guess there is a stalker risk (i.e. you meet some creepy guy in a nightclub and you didnāt want to give him your phone number) so you better hope that the creepy guy doesnāt know about Base64. 
Probably you have a smartphone anyway, so you wouldnāt be using the COVID check-in card.
I certainly identify as āless tech savvyā. I do have an older phone that does all I need except QR scanning. Based on favourable Choice article I purchased a Nokia 2720 simply because of the ability to QR scan. I successfully installed the QR app which came with the phone. But I have been unable to successfully scan at any retail outlet. I keep getting the message āthe QR code was not detected please try againā Trying again does not improve the situation. I wonder if I need to do anything to the settings? I live in Brisbane and have seen QLD mentioned on the check in cards. Is this the problem?
Any help most appreciated. I donāt want to end up with a phone I canāt use. Thanks again.
Welcome to the Community @jdoidge
From a Choice article on same, bold added. You also need to be a suitable distance from the code so the camera āseesā the whole code not just a part of it. I hope this is helpful.
First use can be a hassle until the webform remembers your details, but it does work and is a much better option than a pen and paper sign in. Bear in mind that the camera lens needs to be wiped very clean to work and the lighting conditions need to be fairly good.
If you need some help on the process to check in using a QR code reader on your phone, NSW Government has more information as well as the option to let you practise on a test QR code.
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Hi @jdoidge, welcome to the community.
You will need to install the Check in Queensland Android or Apple appā¦BUTā¦
Unfortunately the Nokia 2720 uses the KaiOS and this operating system isnāt one the Queensland government developed an app for. Unfortunately the Nokia 2720 canāt be used for the Check in Queensland QR system. Not news you will want to hear as your new phone canāt be used to check in in Queensland.
While your phone may read QR codes, the Queensland QR code system is locked meaning registered Qld QR codes used for check-in can only be read using the state governmentās Check in Queensland app. In effect, the QR code can only be read through the app. If you do scan a registered QR code with another QR reading app, it will point you to install the Checkin Queensland app to scan the registered QR code.
For information on the Check in Queensland, see
I have recently had to migrate my parents from their striped down android OS flip phones to a reasonably priced android Vivo smart phone for the same reasonā¦so they could Check in in Queensland. Their flip phones could read QR codes, but the Check in Queensland app couldnāt be installed.
It might be worth taking it back to the store you bought it from (in new condition with all packaging, documents and accessories) to see if they will exchange it for an Android smart phone (these are cheaper than Apple phones). Hopefully they have a favourable change of mind policy.
If they sold you the Nokia phones saying they can be used for Qld QR code check-ins, this is even better as they mislead you and under the Australian Consumer Law you can ask for a remedyā¦ exchange or refund.
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Many thanks for your helpful advice. I have returned the Nokia 2720 for a full refund and have exchanged for an Android (only $20 more) phone which works just fine. I have advised Choice that the review on the 2720 could mislead people, like me, in Qld into thinking they will be able to scan the QR Qld code. They have taken this info on board.
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Fantastic outcome, and great to see a retailer doing the right thing in the interests of a customer.
Who was the retailer?..it is worth letting everyone know as it is a good news story
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It was Office Works (I spoke to the manager) and they could not have been more cooperative. In fact they were appreciative to know the story. They were unaware the phone would not work in Qld and were to immediately alert their sales people so they do not have any more disappointed customers who buy this phone.
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You can type the number on the check in poster in to the Qld Check In app instead of using the phoneās camera to scan the QR code printed above the number.
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Yes, itās useful if the QR code is not being read.
The issue with the Nokia 2720 is that it cannot install the Qld Checkin App.
Whether the other Stateās Checkin Apps have the same limitation may be worth following up.
P.S.
I have. Telstra branded Samsung 3G mobile as the spare. It too is not compatible. Itās a different topic. Consumers are being locked into a cycle of continual upgrades. The addition of new capabilities and needs to eliminate (reduce) vulnerabilities ensure the physical life of a device is not necessarily a limit.
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In NSW you donāt have to use the app. You can use the web. So that means you only need a working camera, QR code decoder and web browser. That is still quite a lot but it removes any burden from the state government to support every random phone operating environment.
If you are super desperate, you can get away with having just a working web browser (since scanning the QR code visits the same URL every time, for a given business, and the same for every phone).
āworking web browserā is itself a complicated question since we donāt necessarily know how complex the state government makes the web site e.g. needs HTML5 support, needs TLS 1.3, needs this, needs that, ā¦ However that is a burden on the state government i.e. keep the web site sane and simple so that it just works with every web browser where practicable.
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Victoria here.
You need to install the Gov app on your phone. If it doesnāt install on your phone, and it doesnāt on any of my Android phones due to operating system version, then QR scan checkin is not available.
But nobody cares anyway. No businesses check. I see the occasional person get their phone out and check in. Most businesses realise the issue and have a checkin sheet for you to use.
Mind you my survey scope is limited since I canāt travel very widely.
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In Cairns, almost everyone is scanning the QR signs which work brilliantly.
The few without compatible or no mobiles sign in.
We have had limited impacts from the pandemic to date and the locals seem determined to keep it that way.
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I try to do the right thing by signing in using the NSW app but I do have a gripe - my once a week shop to a major supermarket, either Coles or Woolworths, does not have a public wifi. Why not? These companies have not lost $$ on this pandemic and we consumers need to be tracked. Surely it makes sense that they outlay some of their profits to ensure access to wifi access?
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They can do a check-in on your behalf if you go to the service desk. In some states businesses can use the same app to sign in guests/customers to the business. They can do this by asking for your name and contact phone number.
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What do you want public WiFi for? Just for COVID signing in? For surfing while you shop?
In these days of government surveillance, offering public WiFi is potentially problematic. It potentially brings with it all sorts of record-keeping obligations. What happens if someone downloads child porn while shopping? Canāt have that now, can we?
My local Coles still allows pen and paper sign-in. Canāt beat that for uncomplicated technology. No WiFi needed.
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The best thing to do in NSW is to open your Services NSW app & then click on the Covid Safe Check In option under Services. It will open on the Scan screen & you just scan. As you leave the venue, just go back into the app, select the same option & then choose Recent (it should have a red dot) & enter your check out time & enter. There is even a History tab so you can remind yourself where you have been. There are still some venues requiring QR checkins. My dentist is one of them.
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Unfortunately the passage of time means that the best thing to do is ā¦ not scan random QR codes at all ā¦
whether they are issued by the NSW government or legitimately by someone else or illegitimately by a scammer. COVID check-in is no longer a thing at almost all places of business and if any place of business is dragging the chain then they need to experience some pushback !
I would never run a random government or other app, even if it were compatible with my phone. That is trading one problem for another.
In some cases it may not even solve the problem i.e. a QR code placed there by a scammer that seeks to exploit a bug in the scanning software.
