Sydneysiders are slammed for signing in to venues as Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse

New South Wales residents have been slammed for signing into venues with fake phone numbers and names such as Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse during the Covid pandemic.  

Speaking on Monday, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard vented his frustrations about people who were caught using the made-up identities while signing into venues, saying contact tracers can only do their jobs if given accurate details. 

‘We’re talking about lives, we’re talking about jobs. The people that do this, babies in nappies have more maturity,’ Victor Dominello, the state’s customer services minister, agreed on Tuesday. 

People using fake names to sign into to NSW venues using QR codes (pictured) under the Covid safety rules have been slammed by officials 

Covid safety marshals at the opening night of the Frozen musical at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney on December 10 (pictured) 

Mr Hazzard said a number of cases where people had given false information had been turned up by contact tracers who were racing to track down contacts of more than 80 Covid cases associated with the Northern Beaches cluster in Sydney. 

‘This is a worldwide COVID pandemic. And thinking it’s smart to call yourself Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse is about as stupid as it gets. So that must cease.’ Mr Hazzard said. 

Premier Gladys Berejiklian also urged venues and punters to carefully follow sign-in procedures given how quickly Covid can spread. 

Mr Dominello said the vast majority of the state’s residents had been signing in to venues correctly and the system was proving successful, allowing contact tracers to quickly notify anyone who may have been exposed to Covid. 

‘Overwhlemingly people have been superheroes during this pandemic in NSW – it’s just the outliers that are being fools and putting everybody at harm,’ he told 2GB radio.

NSW customer services minister Victor Dominello (pictured) said on Tuesday people signing in to venues under fake names were being incredibly immature 

‘People do the same thing in elections, cross off someone’s name and write Donald Duck. If they want to be fools at elections that’s is one thing, but we’re talking about a pandemic’. 

NSW has brought in mandatory QR digital sign-in systems for venues such as pubs, restaurants and cafes in an effort to track down patrons if a known coronavirus case has been to that venue. 

Mr Dominello added there were more than 200 Liquor and Gaming, Fair Trading, and Safework inspectors who were visiting venues to ensure the systems were implemented correctly. 

‘We’re encouraging all business to also adopt the ServiceNSW app because it’s fast, free, accurate, and more private. The information goes straight to health they can then contact people as required in the event of an outbreak ‘. 

NSW health minister Brad Hazzard (pictured) said the contact tracers had run into fake name, making their jobs more difficult