Albertan creates vaccine QR code scanner in spare time ahead of province’s official app
Posted Oct 10, 2021 11:17 am.
Last Updated Oct 12, 2021 11:00 am.
EDMONTON (CityNews) ─ One Edmonton man has created a website for Albertans to scan QR codes to verify their vaccination status – a move many businesses have been waiting for from the provincial government.
Software developer Kyle Richelhoff says he made the unofficial vaccine record validator in a day, and released a modified version within two hours.
“Really, it was just about showing everyone that this can be done,” said Richelhoff. “And also trying to get something out there intermediately until we can actually fill that void by the government, until they can actually release something.”
The website uses the device’s camera to scan the QR code.
“It can instantly tell you if it’s actually valid,” said Richelhoff. “What are the details embedded in the QR code, if it’s been manipulated at all or the information, their date of birth and their name. So they can quickly just see at a glance this information and compare it against another piece of identification.”
I redid https://t.co/cKDLZWxM6Y to scan Alberta QR codes. Yes, you heard that right. First it was the vaccine cards, but now this is fully 100% working scanner you can use today. No app to install, all web based, 100% client-side code and works offline. #abhealth #abpoli
— Kyle Richelhoff (@richelhoff) October 8, 2021
Puneeta McBryan, the executive director of The Edmonton Downtown Business Association, says workers don’t feel entirely safe knowing people can falsify vaccine records while they still don’t have a government QR code verifier.
“I knew that that should be possible from the moment that they said, ‘oh, there will be a QR scannable vaccine record,’” said McBryan. “It should not be that hard to implement a tool like that. It’s not that complicated. And so it’s been extremely frustrating for businesses to have been waiting this long for AHS or for Alberta Health to release it.”
“There’s a lot of frustration. Front-line staff are still getting sick. We are still seeing breakthrough COVID infections among vaccinated people. So it’s hard. It’s hard to know exactly what support is needed, but it’s safe to say that businesses and people are still not OK up there.”
Alberta Health said in an email that their official app is in final testing with Apple and Google and will be released this week. They say there is no need for unapproved third-party apps in the meantime.
