NSW releases details on Covid vaccine passports to freedom

NSW has released new details of how the Covid passport will work as the state approaches “Freedom Day” 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, the government has said that Freedom Day could come as early as October 11.

When the state does open up, the NSW government has said 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 before they 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 to 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.”

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.