From this weekend, Check In CBR will no longer be mandatory in most places.

From 11.59pm on Friday 11 February, checking in will only be required at:

• Licensed bars and pubs
• Registered clubs
• Nightclubs
• Strip clubs and brothels
• Organised events that are not ticketed or pre-registered, including conferences, markets, and music and cultural events
• Schools and early childhood education and care.

Other businesses and settings will no longer be required to display their QR codes or to ask visitors and customers to check in.

However, they are encouraged to display QR codes for customers to use who want to keep a record of where they have been.

The app is being updated to automatically notify users if they have been at a higher risk setting during a COVID-19 exposure. This feature will be ready in the next fortnight.

“We’re in a new phase of our pandemic response,” said Rachel Stephen-Smith, ACT Minister for Health.

“Using the Check In CBR app differently will support those most at risk of exposure to COVID-19 while reducing the requirements placed on other businesses, venues, and customers.

“These changes mean we’re still able to monitor places where our public health team considers there is a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission.”

Check In CBR had deterred some Canberrans from shopping, local business leader John-Paul Romano told Canberra Daily recently. He had called last month for the ACT Government to decide whether it should continue.

“Until such a time as the app can provide patrons with automatic exposure locations, there is very little purpose in having a redundant app,” Mr Romano said today. 

“We don’t know if there will be another variant, and until such time there seems little purpose in completing a task which for some is simple, but for many, including some elderly and less tech-savvy people, is difficult, somewhat stressful, and frustrating.”

The future of Check In CBR

“Check In CBR has provided a vital service throughout this pandemic, and has been embraced by Canberrans,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.

Since its release in September 2020, the app has been downloaded more than 1.3 million times and used for 111 million check-ins.

ACT Health will improve Check In CBR in response to community feedback and to prepare for potential future contact tracing needs.

Canberrans’ check-in data is protected and not accessed unless it is needed for contact tracing purposes. Check-in information is deleted after 28 days.

ACT Health advises that Canberrans should continue to practise COVID safe behaviours. These include staying home if unwell, and getting tested if they have symptoms or are a high or moderate exposure risk.

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