Card payments will be used to track visits to ‘coronavirus hotspots’, with adopted recommendations suggesting contact tracers will ask payment providers for contact details.

A national assessment of contact tracing systems says the use of digital technology is “critical” and information collected must be able to be easily and quickly shared between states.

TRACING INTENSIFIES

 

As business owners across the nation roll out quick response (QR) codes for operation, the next step in beefing up Australia’s contact tracing capacity is set to be access to point-of-sale (POS) data.

The November National Contact Tracing Review, chaired by former Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, recommended contact tracers be able to ask payment providers for the contact details of people who had made a transaction at a ‘hotspot venue’.

The recommendation has been adopted by National Cabinet. The review said the commonwealth should set up agreements between governments and banks so contact tracers could request details: