Using QR Codes for COVID Tracing

For thousands of businesses globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the way many of us do business and go about conducting safe and clean practices when running our storefronts. While these changes have been somewhat difficult for smaller businesses to implement, a number of services and technologies have made it simpler and more streamlined in order to bump up your anti-COVID security and keep track of possible infections occurring in and around your business.

Making a coronavirus QR poster is a simple way to encourage information gathering and contact tracing in the event of an infection occurring at your venue. It’s easy to implement, almost entirely free; and can be done within a matter of an hour if you follow a specific guide. For creating your QR code poster, you’ll need your email address, the full street and civic address of your venue, and the address of each additional location or venue you may own. It’s also recommended to provide a phone number and email on your poster for each specific venue or location.

Receiving your QR Code

There are a number of ways you can receive a QR code for your business. For residents of the U.K., you can submit your information to the U.K. Government through the NHS and receive your QR poster by email after submitting your information. If you enter more than one venue or location to the NHS, you will receive a poster for each location with a unique QR Code depending on the address used and contact information provided. For residents outside of the U.K., many programs within Canada, the US, and abroad offer their own QR Code creation programs; and there are several online QR code generators that you and your team can use in order to create your contact tracing poster.

What to Do When you Receive your QR Code Poster

Upon receiving or printing your QR Code poster, it’s encouraged to print it off and display it in an open, public area of your venue. Encourage your customers as well to scan and sign it with their tracing information upon entering the store. Consider using an employee or hiring someone new to function as a doorman and ensure your customers are following your COVID safety protocols. In the U.K, you can also specialize in your sign for guests to scan the QR code using the NHS COVID-19 app on their smartphones. Similar apps are also available to residents of Canada and the United States and other respective countries. It’s also recommended to have more than one QR poster at the entrance, in order to avoid queues forming of customers who need to scan the poster which could increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission due to crowding inside of your venue. In the event, your venue does not have the ability to print your QR code poster, consider using things such as a TV, laptop, or tablet to broadcast the QR Code and allow visits to scan it with their mobile phones.

Help and Support with your QR Code Poster

If you’re experiencing difficulties with the setup and use of your QR Code poster, there is help available online through third parties or through official government agencies. If you need more information for creating a QR code through the NHS in the U.K., their official website features an FAQ section which you can peruse in order to troubleshoot problems you might be experiencing with your QR code. It is also recommended that businesses in the U.K. They are using their own independent, third-party QR Code system to consider switching over to the NHS app. This is due to the fact that the U.K.’s NHS Covid-19 app is only capable of scanning a QR code that has been officially created by the National Health Service. This means, while you are able to use your own unique QR codes for COVID contact tracing posters in the U.K., it won’t be supported by the official national health system; meaning you and your visitors and staff may not be receiving the correct, up to date information about possible infections which have occurred in your area. It is recommended in the U.K. To either fully switch over your QR system to the official NHS app, or to attempt to integrate your own existing QR codes into the NHS system. This is important for avoiding confusion for visitors and ensuring they receive the proper public health advice and information. For those in the U.K using the NHS system but experiencing issues, they offer QR code support via telephone at: 0800-540-4900, Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 AM to 6 PM. For other countries, it is recommended to look into your system’s own official QR code system, and if they also offer integration and support services for local businesses in their area.