News this week from Synod:
Two important changes from May 28, 2021:
The Victorian Government has announced density limits will lift on small to medium-sized venues, including places of worship.
From 28 May, venues including places of worship with less than 400m² can have up to 200 people per space without any density limit, provided
COVID marshals are on site ensuring all patrons are checking in to each space using the QR Code system.
All venues must use the Government QR Code Service to maintain electronic record keeping.
How do QR codes work?
1. Register for a FREE QR code service from the government at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/register-to-use-vic-gov-qr-codeservice.
2. Once you have your QR Code, you will need to display this prominently, eg at all entry doors.
3. Everyone entering the building can then scan this QR Code using the camera on their smartphone or tablet device. This automatically opens the registration app, which knows that they are registering at your building.
4. They will then be asked to enter their name, phone number and residential postcode, and have the option of providing details of other individuals in their party.
5. When using QR codes, every gathering will require a designated greeter at every door by which the public can enter. Each greeter will need to have a smart phone or tablet device. The role of the greeters is to ensure that
everyone entering the building registers using the QR code, to assist with registrations as required, or to use their own phone or tablet to register any attendees who do not have the capability of registering themselves.
How do older people, or those without a smartphone sign in using the QR Code?
The government QR code allows you to sign in another person. By having event greeters at every entry door, they can sign in any attendee who is
unable to register themselves. The requirement for every attendee to be signed in using the QR code method is a government requirement as of April
23, 2021.
What does this mean for St Luke’s?
Currently we have 8 people who have indicated that they are prepared and able to scan people in on Sunday mornings. These same people are also rostered on for other roles, and don’t want to be rostered on every week, so more people are needed for this role.
Knowing that many of our regular attenders do not have mobile phones that can host the Victorian Services app, and that many others do not have mobile phones at all, I made contact with the people in the Victorian Government responsible for the app. I explained our situation with many people needing to be checked in at the same time who are the same people who come each week. This is their response:
Good afternoon Robyn,
Thank you for reaching out regarding the check-in requirements.
As long as you are recording the manual entries for each person in your venue for more than 15 minutes, and keeping track of this in a consistent manner that can be supplied to contact tracers when requested, this will be sufficient.
This does not need to be via the Service Victoria app, but can instead be through a paper form with names and phone numbers, or a spreadsheet maintained by your team.
Please ensure the manual check-in form has a way to contact each guest, ideally via mobile phone.
We appreciate your work in protecting Victoria through maintaining contact tracing efforts.
So, while we are still able to sign people in with pen and paper, should there be a case of Coronavirus exposure at St Luke’s, those recorded through the QR code can be contacted more quickly. If you would like to be able to do this but are not sure how to go about it, please register your interest with Robyn at the church office.
