Rotorua's businesses, venues, clubs and organisations are doing their bit to make QR code scanning easy and summer unstoppable, says Labour list MP from Rotorua Tamati Coffey.

Coffey says latest figures available show that there have been more than 5000 QR poster downloads for the city, out of the quarter-of-a-million poster downloads for the whole country.

In its recently launched ‘Make Summer Unstoppable' campaign, the Government has identified scanning QR codes as one of the vital COVID-19 behaviours needed to keep the community safe. Scanning makes contact tracing faster and easier and helps prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

'The COVID app keeps us one step ahead of the virus — the more we all scan, the safer we'll all be,” says Coffey.

'It's fantastic to see that Rotorua's business community, Māori tourism operators, and other organisations are playing their part by displaying QR codes and encouraging their customers to scan in.”

The Make Summer Unstoppable campaign is urging businesses and other organisations to keep their QR codes visible, think about displaying more QR codes throughout their stores and venues, and to consider actively encouraging their customers to scan the codes whenever they enter their shops and venues.

'New Zealanders are hitting the shops for Christmas and New Year's, and lots of New Zealanders are moving around the country to spend time with whānau and to holiday.

"The easier we make it for the public to scan, the more chance we have of keeping ahead of COVID-19.

'We need the whole team of five million – every individual, community and business doing their part. So I'm saying well done Rotorua for the efforts you are making. Keep it up and let's have a stunner. Let's not let COVID-19 stop the summer!”