Strata Community Association (Vic) advises its members that all Victorian businesses must use a QR code which integrates into the Victorian Government’s centralised contact tracing system, as part of the requirement for a COVIDSafe Plan.
A compliance amnesty period is in effect until 23 April 2021 at 6:00pm for businesses to ensure that measures are undertaken to fulfil this requirement.SCA (Vic) nevertheless believes that this announcement by the Victorian Government, like previous announcements concerning the requirement of COVIDSafe directives for business, has failed to precisely consider the circumstances of the strata sector.
What this means for Owners Corporations
All businesses in Victoria are required to have a COVIDSafe Plan in place, including Owners Corporations.
Subsequently, COVIDSafe Plans require Owners Corporations to keep records of those occupying and visiting a site, for the purposes of contact tracing. This includes visitors to private residences within the site, or trades and service providers working within private residences or on common property.
All Victorian multi-dwelling properties with shared facilities and workers (including employees and contractors) onsite must have a COVIDSafe Plan.
Effective record keeping using QR codes has been identified by the Victorian Government as the most effective countermeasure available to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the community while keeping businesses and the economy open. Information concerning COVIDSafe Plans and QR Code requirements for Owners Corporations can be located here.
What to do
There are two ways for Owners Corporations to integrate new or existing QR code and electronic visitor registration systems to the Victorian Government’s contact tracing system.
Register and use the free Victorian Government QR Code Service OR
Establish if your existing QR code/record keeping integrates with the Victorian Government API
If you are not using the free Victorian Government QR Code Service, your existing QR Code must be connected to the Victorian Government API (Application Programming Interface). To find out if your QR Code connects to the API, please click here
If your existing QR code doesn’t connect to the API, please enquire with your provider as to future arrangements. Subsequently, if your provider indicates that the QR code will not be integrated, please refer to the above information to register your Owners Corporation for another, API-compliant QR code provider, or register and use the free Victorian Government QR code service.
About the Victorian Government API
The Victorian Government has recently commissioned an API (Application Programming Interface), which is a software designed to allow non-government QR codes used for contact tracing within businesses and organisations to communicate directly with the Victorian Department of Health’s contact tracing team.
The commissioning of the API is designed to speed up the response time of contact tracers in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19, allowing for a greater chance at containing said outbreak through the collection of data within minutes, as opposed to hours or days.
In the event of a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak within their property, a business using electronic visitor registration is required to provide the name of their provider under the new regulations, allowing contact tracers to instantly access required information, and act as quickly as possible to ensure containment.
More information about the Victorian Government QR code and API compatible check in solutions is available here or by calling Business Victoria, on 13 22 15
For more information
For information on current public health restrictions and guidelines, click here or call the Victorian Government’s Coronavirus Hotline, on 1800 675 398
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