QR Code Use Cases in the Fight Against Coronavirus

Not only are QR Codes being used to help shoppers practice social distancing, but they’re also helping more people during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

Vancouver Art Gallery Set to Reopen With QR Codes

The Vancouver Art Gallery is now set to reopen to the public. But things will look different from usual for visitors, in order to maintain safety regulations in the wake of COVID-19.

As well as being asked to maintain social distancing, visitors will be able to purchase masks from the Gallery. Crucially, QR Codes will also be on display so they can download a copy of the visitor’s guide, reducing the amount of face-to-face contact needed with employees. Read the full story.

Rugby Fans Return to Matches Thanks to QR Codes

Super Rugby Aotearoa will be the first professional rugby competition in the world to have crowds of fans return to watch in Dunedin, New Zealand this month. NZR and all five Super Rugby clubs will be encouraging fans to use the QR Codes displayed at match venues to help ensure effective contact tracing and increase safety at matches. Read the full story.

QR Codes Could Minimize Non-Essential Emergency Room Visits

A recent peer reviewed study by orthopedic surgeons at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, California found that QR Codes may be a useful tool in helping children with casts and their families better manage their health.

The study showed that the majority of people found scanning QR Codes to get information prevented them from calling their doctor’s office to ask questions or book appointments. Each QR Code was linked to custom information created by the patient’s doctor, with instructions on how to care for the cast and what to do in case anything happens to it. Read the full story.

Shanghai to Introduce QR Code ‘Smart Elevators’ Across the City

Shanghai is using QR Codes to improve safety and support the handling of emergencies in elevators. By the end of September 2020, all 270,000 elevators in use across the city are set to be equipped with a QR Code that lets riders alert authorities and maintenance workers if they get trapped.

By scanning the “Shanghai smart elevator”, riders can access basic information about the elevator—such as it’s location— in order to report problems. Read the full story.

New York City Restaurants Reopen With the Help of QR Codes

As New York City enters phase two of reopening, restaurateurs like celebrity chef Jean Georges Vongerichten are using QR Code technology to welcome outdoor diners. Vongerichten said “We will use QR codes to reduce contact between servers and customers. Diners will find a QR on their table that will allow their device to pull up a menu, plan and order items with their server, and eventually pay their bill.”

5,000 restaurants are predicted to begin offering outdoor dining as part of phase two reopening, and QR Codes are integral to keeping employees and diners safe. Read the full story.

BMW Hosts Interactive an Art Motor Show With QR Codes

BMW is holding its first-ever art motor show in its luxury showroom in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.  ‘The Art of Decoding’ exhibition will showcase 19 BMW art pieces, which participants can learn about using their smartphones.

Exhibition visitors are invited to register online to receive a unique QR Code to be activated on-site. They can also present their QR Codes on the interactive digital interface, select their favorite illustrations, and create their personalized branded postcards using their own names. Read the full story.

Retailer launches shoppable window with QR Codes

Lone Design Club (a retail disrupter championing independent designers) has launched a shoppable window in London, UK to help bridge the gap between physical and digital using QR Codes. Customers will be able to scan the QR Codes to shop items and sign up to events, including 1-to-1 personal shopping experiences and tutorials. Read the full story.

QR Code traffic lights to help stop COVID-19

Hangzhou, China has developed a new standard to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the city begins to recover. A team at China Jiliang University has developed a health code that uses QR Codes to identify those at risk of spreading the infection, those who should isolate and those who can move freely. The app assigns QR Codes on a traffic-light principle, with red, yellow, and green codes corresponding to high, medium, or low-risk states. Read the full story.

Nightclubs and bars to adopt QR Codes in South Korea

South Korea will now require venues like nightclubs and bars to use QR Codes to log customer visits. These types of establishments, which the government deems high risk, will be required to use this system to make it easier to track down visitors potentially infected with COVID-19. The QR Code register will only be used when the coronavirus alert level is raised to ‘serious’ or ‘cautionary’. Read the full story.

QR Codes bring entertainment home for diners in lockdown

This Chicago bar is keeping hospitality alive for its customers during the COVID-19 crisis. The Darling bar and lounge has created a unique food and drink package designed to bring the full bar experience home to those in lockdown.

Their food packaging features a QR Code that leads to a video stream of a cabaret performance, so you can enjoy a little light entertainment while you dine at home! Read the full story.

Disneyland reopens with health QR Codes

Shanghai’s Disneyland has become the first Disney amusement park to reopen amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

But things aren’t totally back to normal. The park enforced social distancing through stickers on the ground, directing people where to stand in line. Visitors were also required to go through multiple temperature checks, as well as providing their health QR Codes. Read the full story.

QR Codes could help reopen ports and borders

The University of the Balearic Islands has developed a QR Code that carries certified health information. To avoid the need for Covid-19 testing or self-quarantine, the QR Code will validate that passengers entering the region have health certification from their country of origin. This information could be read by an application on arrival, proving that the visitor is free of coronavirus. Read the full story.

Commuters can fight COVID-19 with QR Codes

Commuters in Singapore are being urged to scan a QR Code in taxis to help facilitate contact tracing and curb the spread of coronavirus. All cabs are set to display the QR Codes, which are being rolled out across the industry. The system logs the names and contact details of individuals visiting hot spots, workplaces of essential services, and selected public venus. People who book rides via apps need not scan the QR Code as there is already data available to help with contact tracing if needed. Read the full story.

Social agency uses QR Codes for good

In response to the UN’s call out to creatives to help stop the spread of COVID-19, social creative agency Hey Honey proposed a QR Code based project to help grocery shoppers stay safe.

The project, #BeSafeShopping involves displaying a QR Code poster to shoppers while they’re standing in line to enter the store. Customers would be able to scan the QR Code to visit a custom Instagram page populated with safety demos and instructions inspired by airline cards. Check out their designs on Twitter.

Touch your face, donate a dollar!

In an effort to combat the COVID-19 crisis, Venables & Partners have partnered with digital agency Firstborn to launch ‘Facejar’. Known as the virtual face-touching ‘swear jar’, Facejar lets people turn accidental eye rubs, beard strokes, and nose picks during video meetings into money for protective equipment for medical professionals.

Or, in other words: if you touch your face, you donate a dollar. Once the video meeting is over, users can complete their donation by scanning a QR Code to donate on Venmo. All proceeds go to #GetUsPPE. Read the full story.

QR Codes help citizens practice social distancing

To help support citizens as they practice social distancing, Maybank Singapore has launched an all-in-one QR Payment Terminal that supports QR payment via PayNow.

This development facilitates merchants to receive contactless payments securely and efficiently. It also lets them generate dynamic PayNow QR Codes, so customers can make transactions via PayNow without keying in a bill amount. Read the full story.

Check stock before you hit the store

Spar and Eurospar convenience stores in Northern Island have introduced a ‘Scan, Pay, Go’ mobile app that lets customers check items are in stock before leaving their homes. The app also lets them self-serve in-store.

When customers are ready to pay, they won’t need to unpack their bags for scanning. Instead, they can scan a QR Code at the express checkout that lets them register their shopping and pay with card or cash. Read the full story.

Attractions in China begin to reopen

As the rate of coronavirus infections begins to slow, more attractions in China are reopening their doors. 

To help ensure that the rate continues on its downward trajectory, China has had to put more safety measures in place. This includes the use of different colored health QR Codes, used to determine the health status and travel history of users. Read the full story.

QR Codes help people make donations

Touch ‘n Go eWallet is providing a QR Code scan facility to let people donate directly to non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This development is in response to the Movement Control Order currently being enforced in Malaysia to slow the rate of COVID-19.

Although using QR Codes to donate to NGOs is not new, they are particularly effective at this time. QR Codes let the public donate to underprivileged communities by scanning codes through Facebook. They can then save the QR Code to their image gallery and share with their friends and family, increasing the opportunity for donations. Read the full story.

Scan to pay at Walmart

Walmart is enabling QR code payments that allow consumers to pay by scanning a QR code to pay at checkout. Previously, they would have had to tap a screen to initiate the process. Other retailers and digital wallets may follow Walmart’s lead during the pandemic to give consumers a payment option that requires no contact with shared surfaces and keeps their customers and employees safe. Read the full story.

Skip checkout with QR Codes

As more shoppers practice social distancing, stores have seen a recent spike in the number of customers using mobile checkout apps. As a result, Fairway Market has recently ramped up promotions of its scan-and-go application.

Fairway Market’s checkout tool lets customers use their phones to scan products as they shop. When they’ve finished, the app generates a QR Code to be scanned at a checkout point, helping them avoid other customers by queuing in long lines. Read the full story.

Bondi festival goes virtual with QR Codes

As the coronavirus outbreak puts a halt to mass gatherings, many festival-goers have been left disappointed. But when the Ocean Lovers Festival was canceled, founder Anita Kolni didn’t want to let down the schoolchildren who had entered the festival’s “Litterarty Competition.”

To enter the contest, the children created ocean-themed artwork made from recycled rubbish. Rather than let their efforts go to waste, the exhibition will now go ahead as a virtual show. To view the children’s artwork, people can scan a QR Code to experience 360-degree images on their phones! Read the full story.

Animal Crossing amplifies self-isolation mode with QR Codes

As more people practice self-isolation in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is helping to spread some joy. Many have taken to social media to share their game experiences, as well as their QR Codes.

Players are now able to download custom clothing designs through the power of QR Codes. This includes designs they created in Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Animal Crossing: Happy Room Designer. They can even use QR Codes to download designs created by other players. Read the full story.

QR Codes used to test for COVID-19

As one of the worst-hit areas in Indonesia, West Java has launched a QR Code based service to help manage the strain on their healthcare facilities caused by the coronavirus disease.

Using an app, citizens are now able to conduct a self-diagnosis. If the app determines that they are showing symptoms and should be tested for COVID-19, it will issue a unique QR Code and details of the nearest hospital.

Citizens must present their QR Codes at the hospital to receive testing. If they test negative for coronavirus, they can reuse their QR Codes in a week’s time. Read the full story.