COVID-19 digital certificate now fully available on Service NSW app | ZDNet

COVID-19 vaccination certificates can now be linked with the Service NSW check-in app.

The New South Wales government announced on Friday morning that the certificate has begun rolling out to the entire state.

“This is an extra digital service to make life easier for the businesses and customers of NSW as we open back up. NSW is the first jurisdiction in Australia to roll out an integrated QR code solution for displaying vaccination status statewide,” Minister for Digital and Customer Service Victor Dominello said.

The statewide rollout follows a short trial earlier this week to some users based in the regional areas of Lismore, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, and Wagga Wagga.

To add the COVID-19 digital certificate onto the Service NSW app, users will need to go through the MedicareExpress Plus and give consent for the state-based apps to access the immunisation history. The same process can be used for the Service Victoria app, which is still undergoing trials in certain regional areas within Victoria before it makes the certificate available statewide.  

By giving consent, users will be consenting to their immunisation history data, which is stored in the Australian Immunisation Register database, being shared with the state-based check-in apps.

According to Services Australia, the consent will last for 12 months.

Alternatively, users can also link their COVID-19 digital certificate with the Service NSW app by using a myGov account or the individual health identifier.

Prior to the COVID-19 digital certificates being integrated with these apps, there were already three ways to demonstrate the vaccine certificate. These options, which still exist, allow people to store their COVID-19 digital certificates on the MedicareExpress Plus app, Apple Wallet or Google Pay, or they can obtain a hard copy of the vaccination certificate through printing a copy from their Medicare account or requesting Services Australia for a copy.

As states prepare to move out of lockdown once they reach 70% fully vaccinated rates, with New South Wales having already loosened restrictions for fully vaccinated people at the start of this week, the Australian government is expecting to have its international digital vaccination certificates ready in the coming weeks to allow for outbound international travel in November.

“The government’s intention is that once changes are made in November, the current overseas travel restrictions related to COVID-19 will be removed and Australians will be able to travel subject to any other travel advice and limits, as long as they are fully vaccinated and those countries’ border settings allow,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at the start of this month. 

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