Federal Local Government Minister Mark Coulton has written to council mayors to encourage their communities to download the new COVIDSafe phone application.
The COVIDSafe app is key part of the Commonwealth’s efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19, and to ease restrictions whilst keeping Australians safe.
In his letter, Mr Coulton said the more Australians that connect to the COVIDSafe app, “the quicker we can find the virus and take all necessary actions to contain an outbreak.
“There are several ways you can help encourage uptake of the app, such as:
- sharing the Federal Department of Health’s social media posts about the app;
- posting social media content about the app on your social media channels;
- adding information about the app to your website or newsletter; and
- issuing a media release encouraging your residents to download the app.”
Mr Coulton told mayors the app is voluntary, and that everyone who downloads it “can be assured their privacy is protected by law”.
Access to app data will be restricted to state and territory health authorities who will notify people exposed to Covid-19. It will be a criminal offence to use app data in any other way.
More information about the app can be found here.