Apologies for any cross-posting on the below content.
New advice has been distributed by Government with regard to the vaccination status of all staff that must urgently be considered as you plan for your reopening. Please review the details provided below so these requirements can be incorporated into your planning processes:
The Roadmap provides for a progressive reopening with increased capacity limits across various settings when all attendees are fully vaccinated. This includes your workers.
The option of increased capacity limits will only apply if everyone present is fully vaccinated (or has a valid medical exemption).
This means if your staff are not fully vaccinated, you may not be able to open or to apply the eased capacity limits offered in the updated Roadmap. Please encourage your workers to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The Chief Health Officer has also issued vaccination requirements for many workers that must leave home to work on-site. Workers who are covered by this requirement, but have not had a first and second dose by the deadlines set in the COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions, will not be able to attend workplaces outside their home.
For more information on the Roadmap, industry restrictions or to book a vaccination, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au or call the Business Victoria hotline on 13 22 15.
Overnight and this morning, we have sought further clarification on exactly what this means for operators. We are providing various scenarios below to hopefully help you in interpreting the situation:
Scenario 1 – Regional Victoria If you are a restaurant or hospitality venue located in regional Victoria, under the current restrictions, you can operate with an outdoor cap of 30 and an indoor cap of 10 per venue with DQ4. .
As restaurants are classified as an authorised provider under the Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions, in order to work at the restaurant or hospitality venue, workers must be able to provide evidence to management that they have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, or have a booking to receive their first dose by 22 October 2021, or have a medical exemption evidenced by an authorised medical practitioner.
From 26 November 2021, they will also be required to provide evidence that they have received their second dose (unless there is a medical exemption) to attend work.
However, if the restaurant wishes to increase its capacity to the upgraded outdoor cap of 100 patrons with a DQ2, and an indoor cap of 30 patrons with a DQ4 (phase B of the Roadmap – Regional Victoria) all workers and patrons must be fully vaccinated(or have a valid medical exemption) by this Friday 22 October. Otherwise, the venue can only continue to operate at the current restriction settings outlined above.
Scenario 2 - Regional Victoria If you are a leisure entertainment venue or attraction operating in regional Victoria, under the current restrictions, you can operate with an outdoor seated/non-seated cap of 300 per space or 25% venue capacity, whichever is less; and an indoor cap of 20 per space.
As these establishments are classified as an authorised provider under the Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions, in order to work at these venues, workers must be able to provide evidence to management that they have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, or have a booking to receive their first dose by 22 October 2021, or have a medical exemption evidenced by an authorised medical practitioner.
From 26 November 2021, they will also be required to provide evidence that they have received their second dose (unless there is a medical exemption) to attend work.
However, if the entertainment venue wishes to increase its capacity to the upgraded outdoor cap of 300 patrons with a DQ2, and an indoor cap of 30 patrons per space (phase B of the Roadmap – Regional Victoria) all workers and patrons must be fully vaccinated(or have a valid medical exemption) by this Friday 22 October. Otherwise, the venue can only continue to operate at the current restriction settings outlined above here.
Scenario 3 - Metro Melbourne If you are a restaurant or hospitality venue located in metro Melbourne, under the current restrictions, you can operate for takeaway only.
As restaurants are classified as an authorised provider under the Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions, in order to work at the restaurant or hospitality venue, workers must be able to provide evidence to management that they have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, or have a booking to receive their first dose by 22 October 2021, or have a medical exemption evidenced by an authorised medical practitioner.
From 26 November 2021, they will also be required to provide evidence that they have received their second dose (unless you have a medical exemption) to attend work.
However, if the restaurant wishes to operate under the upgraded settings with an outdoor cap of 50 patrons with a DQ4, and an indoor cap of 20 patrons with a DQ4 (phase B of the Roadmap – Metro Melbourne) all workers and patrons must be fully vaccinated(or have a valid medical exemption) by this Friday 22 October. Otherwise, the venue can only continue to operate at the current restriction settings of takeaway only.
Scenario 4 - Metro Melbourne If you are a leisure entertainment venue/attraction or animal facility (zoos) operating in metro Melbourne, under the current restrictions, you are unable to operate.
As these establishments are classified as an authorised provider under the Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions, in order to work at these venues, workers must be able to provide evidence to management that they have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, or have a booking to receive their first dose by 22 October 2021, or have a medical exemption evidenced by an authorised medical practitioner.
From 26 November 2021, they will also be required to provide evidence that they have received their second dose (unless there is a medical exemption) to attend work.
However, if the entertainment venue wishes to open on Friday 22 October and operate under the upgraded settings allowing the venue to accommodate up to 50 patrons OUTDOORS ONLY with a DQ4, and animal facilities (zoos) to open for 25% capacity with indoor spaces closed (phase B of the Roadmap – Metro Melbourne) all workers and patrons must be fully vaccinated(or have a valid medical exemption) by this Friday 22 October. Otherwise, the venue can only operate at the current restriction settings, which means they must remain closed.
With regard to parameters for guests to be fully vaccinated, the current setting through Phase B and C only pertain to guests aged 16+ being fully vaccinated. From Phase D in the Roadmap, the requirement will be that guests aged 12+ will be required to be vaccinated.
Please note that accommodation has not been used as examples in these scenarios as it is currently not a requirement for guests to be fully vaccinated in accommodation settings.
Reopening Tourism and Events Webinar Series
The changes to our reopening roadmap announced by the Premier as a consequence of the state rapidly achieving its 70% and 80% double vaccination targets over the next two weeks has been a positive and much-anticipated step for us all.
We are, however, acutely aware that re-opening of businesses in a COVIDSafe setting presents a raft of new challenges for our industry, as highlighted above.
In direct response to concerns you’ve raised with us, VTIC has produced series of reopening webinars to support our tourism and event industry at this critical time. Further details on these sessions will be sent via email later this afternoon and will also be available on our website.
