Why odd virus rule isn’t ‘redundant’

The NSW Customer Service Minister has defended “checking in” to venues as “a prop” after he was asked to explain why QR codes are not “redundant”.

MP Victor Dominello told 2GB’s Chris Smith that ‘checking in’ was “a reminder to monitor for symptoms” and “had a place” despite the federal definition of a close contact changing last week to only someone who has spent four or more house with a confirmed case in a household setting.

QR codes are still being used for hospitality, retail, events and high-risk venues like hospitals, and Service NSW still alerts users to “monitor for symptoms” if they have been in the same setting as a positive case.

“I think they are a tool Chris. Obviously, they are not in the same league they were when we had the Alpha outbreak, where there was no vaccination rate or even the Delta, where we were scrambling to get vaccination rates up,” Mr Dominello said.

“In Omicron now we are moving into an endemic phase, so I think they have a place.

“At the moment, for example, they are a prop. They are a reminder that if you do get symptoms, monitor them and remember that it’s still around, like you can just walk around thinking that the world’s moved on.”

“We’re operating in a national environment in terms of the national cabinet decisions that need to be made but they are the current settings.

“This is going to be another setting that needs to be revisited and tapped.

“I can promise you is one of the things we are looking at.”

Deputy Premier Paul Toole last month flagged the government would “phase out” mandatory check-ins into events, hospitality and retail venues and proposed January 27 as the date.