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Revealed: How NSW’s vaccine passport will work as trial announced

Steve ZemekNCA NewsWire
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Camera IconNot Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia

NSW has released new details of how the Covid passport will work as the state approaches “Freedom Day” sometime next month.

The Berejiklian government has announced its road map out of the epidemic with restrictions to be eased once the state reaches its 70 per cent double vaccination target.

Hospitality and retail venues, gyms, sporting facilities and salons will open their doors for the first time since the Greater Sydney region was thrown into lockdown as a result of the latest outbreak fuelled by the Delta variant.

With the Covid curve seemingly on the downward trend - with 1035 locally acquired cases announced on Wednesday - the government has said that Freedom Day could come as early as Monday October 11.

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Camera IconCustomer Services Minister Victor Dominello demonstrates how the vaccine passport will work. NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw. Credit: News Corp Australia

When the state does open up, the NSW government has said that for a foreseeable time frame certain freedoms would only be granted to residents who could prove they had been fully vaccinated.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Wednesday that people who were unvaccinated would have to wait until before were afforded the same rights.

Currently, NSW residents must open the Medicare Express App to display their proof of double vaccination, or download a certificate to their Google or Apple digital wallet.

That means that when checking into a venue, people will have to open their Services NSW app to scan the check-in QR code as well as open another application to show their proof of vaccination.

The NSW government is working on being able download the vaccination certificate to the Services NSW app to make it easier.

Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello admitted it would not be up and running by “Freedom Day”.

“The reality is right now there are other options for showing your vaccination status,” he said.

“This is just to make it easier.”

The scheme is set to be trialled in a regional location in early October, with a few hundred people and a handful of venues set to be invited to the soft-launch to work out any bugs.

“(The hospitality and retail industry) want it because it makes it simple for them - it’s a great experience for business and customers,” Mr Dominello said.

“We’re moving heaven and earth to get that ready.”

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Camera IconPremier Gladys Berejiklian says residents will have to prove their vaccination status to enjoy certain freedoms once the state opens up. NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone. Credit: News Corp Australia

Mr Dominello also said he was “very disturbed” by reports of tradies setting up fake accounts to avoid having to use their details when checking into constructions sites.

He said the vaccination passport would feature a digital hologram so it couldn’t be forged and predicted jail time for anyone trying to skirt their obligations.

“This is not just a minor offence,” he said.

“This is a serious criminal offence. Because you are putting not just your life in danger, but other lives at risk.

“If you’re getting to set up a fake account and use a fake account, if you get caught, I would expect some serious jail time.”

Originally published as Revealed: How NSW’s vaccine passport will work as trial announced

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