Victorian Government assures public COVID-19 contact tracing data can only be shared in 'life or death matters'
Victoria's Health Department has reassured the public that contact tracing and QR code check-in data can only be shared in life or death situations after it was revealed WorkCover tried to get the information.
The Herald Sun has revealed WorkCover investigators wanted to access contact tracing data while looking into hotel quarantine failures and took their request as far as the Supreme Court, where it was denied.
The Health Department then tried to have the court case suppressed from the public's knowledge for five years, the Herald Sun has further revealed.
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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews previously said the information would only be used for public health matters. Joe Armao
Commander Jeroen Weimar argued that "if the public was aware there was a risk that contact tracing and QR code information might be disclosed to third parties it would significantly undermine the state's ability to manage the COVID-19 pandemic".
The Chief Health Officer's report released this afternoon stated "Media reports this morning are not an accurate reflection of what has occurred".
The report said the Health Department had asked the court for the suppression "to ensure that Victorians can continue to have confidence in one of the key measures to keep us safe".
The Victorian Government has repeatedly assured the data collected by contact tracers and QR codes was to be "only used for public health purposes and nothing else".
"This information is only there for 28 days, it's destroyed afterwards," Premier Daniel Andrews said in June.
However, Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan today revealed that Victoria Police, as well as WorkCover, had tried to access the data.
At WorkCover's Supreme Court case, the judge concluded the case noting the data "cannot (have) absolute protection".
Jacinta Allan has reassured the information can only be used in life or death situations. Nine
Ms Allan today reassured the public that new pandemic legislation, brought in just weeks ago, strengthened protection of the data.
She said under the new pandemic laws, QR code data could be shared in a matter of life or death if it was applied for in court.
"I want to be very, very clear, that is a very, very narrow base, that is only there for those extreme circumstances," she said.
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