The Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young has hit out at customers at restaurants, bars and clubs who provide false contact details, saying they are putting the health of other Queenslanders at risk.
Dr Young said Queensland Health required the businesses to collect and store the details of every person who enters their premises.
She said the information would be vital if a patron or staff member tested positive to COVID-19.
“If someone with the disease has been to a venue, we urgently need to know who else might be at risk of infection,” Dr Young said.
“Having the names, phone numbers and email addresses of all customers and employees is critical in the event we have to carry out contact tracing and help minimise the spread of the disease.”
She said time was of the essence in that task, so businesses must have this information on-hand.
She said the approved Industry COVID Safe Plan and Restrictions on Businesses, Activities and Undertakings Direction (No. 3) also required operators to record the times people were on the premises and all businesses were obliged to heed the privacy regulations.
Dr Young said that while the vast majority of Queenslanders were compliant, there had been reports of customers providing either false or incomplete details.
People who fail to produce contact tracing information without a reasonable excuse can be fined $1,334, the Chief Health Officer said.
“People who provide fake names or numbers for whatever reason are not just putting themselves at risk, they’re putting their own family and friends at risk,” she said.
“If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you need to know as soon as possible so you and your close contacts can act, including getting tested.
“Contact tracing is the safest and most effective way for that to happen. That’s why we need correct details,” Dr Young said.
