AFL 2021 Marvel Stadium Covid Case: Fans were told not to log in with a QR code

The Victorian man tried to sign in at the entrance of Marvel Stadium before the game on Sunday, but claimed that an official told the audience not to worry about signing in, then turned the QR code sign and let people rush through the gate.

But after the news was exposed, AFL supported its Covid security agreement, saying that the contact information of all participants could be tracked through their tickets, and the QR code outside the stadium was used as an extra layer of protection.

The football fan, who only hopes to be known by his name Peter, said that the QR code system should be “handled in a different way.”

“This may exacerbate the complacency that already exists-especially if it gives the impression that it is really not as important as the government and everyone is trying to portray it,” he said.

Peter and his daughter participated in the game between Essendon and North Melbourne on Sunday-the game was later taken to the desk of contact tracers in the state.

The loyal fan came to the gate of the stadium. He said that he tried to use the QR code to sign in to the game, but was quickly stopped by the staff.

“When I tried to log in, an official from Marvel walked over and said to the effect: “Don’t worry about the QR code, we are too busy, we just need to let you pass the gates,'” he said.

“And they actually turn the card over so that customers who enter the queue through the gate can’t see the QR code itself.”

Although Peter’s daughter managed to register the couple, dozens of others were able to pass the checkpoint without logging in.

Peter said: “I think this is very unusual and runs counter to all the publicity we see about QR codes everywhere.”

But an AFL spokesperson said that participants are encouraged to enter the gate quickly to avoid congestion at the entrance that may pose a security risk.

The spokesperson said: “In the game last Sunday, any stadium official’s message was to allow fans to quickly pass through the crowded entrance gate. This is in the best interest of public safety to minimize the number of people gathered at the entrance gate.”

Although most Victorian businesses must enforce the QR system, AFL avoids this requirement due to strict Covid security measures.

The spokesperson said that AFL has taken measures to reduce risks, including dividing venues to limit the flow of customers, and implementing ticket data collection and QR code scanning in the stadium to achieve effective contact tracking.

The spokesperson said: “Starting from the sixth round, when buying game tickets in Victoria, we ask fans to enter the name and phone number of each ticket purchased.”

“The purpose (is) to assist the Victorian Government in obtaining the contact information of all fans participating in the game in order to best assist in tracing contacts.

“Once the crowd resumes the game, the message to the fans remains the same-when participating in a football game, please make sure to download the tickets and reach the designated entrance gate as soon as possible. We encourage fans to scan the QR code after entering the stadium.”

The system worked for Peter because the Ministry of Health contacted him via text message on Wednesday and told him that he was the level 3 contact for the positive case.

Victorian football fans were shocked this week by the news that Covid-positive people participated in the game, which could put thousands at risk.

Those sitting at level 1 between channels 5 and 28, or level 3 between channels 6 and 29 are required to undergo testing and isolation until they receive a negative result.

Others who visited the stadium were told to monitor symptoms.

The stadium has become one of more than 100 exposure sites visited by infected persons, affecting more than 10,000 Victorians.

This issue has drawn further attention to the country’s troubled QR code system, which has been under scrutiny in recent weeks.

Although other states have managed to establish a centralized system, Victoria has only enacted a requirement law this month.

At the Victorian COVID crisis press conference on Monday, Victoria’s chief testing commander Jeroen Weimar stated that Victoria has been “concerned” about low compliance levels.

“At the end of last year, we said that we need to ensure that we have a good QR code system. Many companies have proposed a different system. We allow this and pay close attention to it because we are starting to see that performance is not what we need,” he said .

“It is very important that we can rely on our QR code system to capture everyone in these locations. Whether or not this is the case, we need everyone to stand up and check their diaries. If you are there, please stand up So that we can test you and isolate you.”

Data collected through QR codes can work faster than contact trackers, which means that potentially infected people can be quarantined faster.

New South Wales Governor Gladys Berejiklian criticized Victoria’s coronavirus management system this week. She told Channel 7 officials that due to the use of QR codes to record people’s activities, officials in her state have been able to grasp the status of community transmission .

“Each state makes decisions based on their confidence in their system and what is happening,” Ms. Berejiklian told Channel 7’s Sunrise program on Thursday morning.

“It also depends on the venue, how many people actually checked in. They don’t have the same QR code system that we have in New South Wales.”

The Victorian Department of Health has been contacted for comments.

When states implement a government-approved QR code system

• Victoria: May 28, 2021

• New South Wales: January 1, 2021

• Queensland: May 2, 2021

• SA: December 1, 2020

• NT: November 30, 2020

• ACT: September 2020

• Tasmania: May 1, 2021