COVID Officers spread vaccination ID misinformation in Healesville

Business owners and managers in Healesville were thrown into a spin after COVID officers gave incorrect information about acceptable COVID vaccination certificates, forcing some businesses to turn people away.

Speaking in parliament, Ms McLeish called on the Minister for Health to clarify the correct form of COVID vaccine identification and to share that information with COVID officers to ensure misinformation is not spread further and people are not incorrectly fined.

State Liberal Member for Eildon, Cindy McLeish says it is disappointing that COVID officers had their wires crossed and caused unnecessary concern amongst local businesses when they visited Healesville on November 23.

Ms McLeish said, “I was contacted by people working in local businesses who had been told that copies of their printed Medicare vaccination and vaccination history were not acceptable proof.”

“This put business owners, managers, staff and volunteers in a very difficult situation as they believed they had to turn away customers and in some cases their own team members, despite being fully vaccinated.”

“The misinformation spread by COVID officers has caused unnecessary stress for the elderly and people without smartphones.”

The coronavirus website states that a “COVID-19 digital certificate via the Service Victoria app, a COVID-19 digital certificate saved to a smartphone wallet, a printed copy of COVID-19 digital certificate, a printed copy of immunisation history statement or an eligible proof of vaccination exemption” are all acceptable means of proving vaccination identify.

Ms McLeish continues, “Small businesses have been put through the wringer during the pandemic. They are only now starting to get back on their feet. They don’t need to be hit with misinformation that could set back their business.”

“The Minister needs to act quickly and inform COVID officers of the correct information before more damage is done,” Ms McLeish concludes.