Covid restrictions now in place across several states
In an attempt to thwart the spread of the covid delta variant, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have followed New South Wales in introducing restrictions.
Western Australia
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has announced that the lockdown affecting more than two million residents in his state will come to an end as intended at midnight on July 2.
From 12.01am July 3 until 12.01am on Tuesday July 6, the state will have three days of post-lockdown interim restrictions:
• People in the Perth and Peel regions will be free to leave their homes
• Masks will remain mandatory, both indoors and outdoors, and on public transport (they are not required for outdoor exercise and other exemptions)
• Residents are asked to continue working from home if they’re able to
• TAFE, training and universities can reopen
• Private gatherings of up to 10 visitors indoors and 20 visitors outdoors are allowed
• All public venues, including hospitality, entertainment and retail outlets can reopen, with the one person per four square metre rule in place, and a capacity of 20 patrons with seated service only
• Weddings and funerals can go ahead with a limit of 20 guests
From 12.01am on Tuesday, July 6 until Monday July 12, subject to health advice, relaxed transitional restrictions will be in place.
South Australia
Restrictions have been reintroduced in South Australia from midnight 28 June and will be reassessed after seven days.
These include:
• Masks required in high-risk settings including residential aged care facilities, hospitals and personal care settings.
• Limit of 150 people at private gatherings
• Density requirement of one person per two square metres.
• Seated consumption of food and drink at venues, indoors.
A full list of restrictions will be uploaded to the government's COVID-19 website.
Retail Pool Shops, Service Technicians and Construction can continue working in a COVID Safe Manner.
SQM Rules – Physical Distancing
The total number of people at a place must not exceed 1 person per 2 square metres.
Physical distancing, or social distancing principles apply. Every person should attempt to stay at least 1.5 metres from other members of the public. However, this does not apply to people who live together, who are friends or family members, or people who regularly associate with each other.
COVID Safe Check-In
All defined public activities and general retail industry premises must have a completed COVID Safe Plan and have an approved contact tracing system enabled. All people entering the place must upload their relevant contact details to the approved contact tracing system. This upload is automatic when you use the COVID SAfe Check-In to scan the QR code. For more information
Who needs to create a COVID-Safe Plan?
Businesses involved in a Defined public activity must have a COVID-Safe Plan in place in order to trade. Whist the swimming pool and spa industry is not a Defined public activity, SPASA Australia recommends all businesses complete one which takes about 10 minutes.
Queensland
Lockdown restrictions for City of Brisbane and Moreton Bay region LGA's has been extended until 6pm Saturday 3 July.
Lockdown restrictions will end 6pm Friday 2 July for the following LGAs:
• City of Gold Coast
• City of Ipswich
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council
• Logan City
• Noosa Shire Council
• Redland City
• Scenic Rim Regional Council
• Somerset Regional Council
• Sunshine Coast Regional Council
• Townsville City Council
• Palm Island Aboriginal Shire
Face mask wearing and gathering restrictions will continue to apply in these areas.
Anyone in the affected LGAs will be required to stay at home except for essential reasons. Anyone who was in South East Queensland, Townsville (including Magnetic Island) or Palm Island on or since 6pm Tuesday 29 June 2021 is required to follow the same lockdown rules even if they are no longer in those areas.
You can only leave your residence (which includes temporary accommodation such as a holiday rental) for limited permitted purposes such as:
• obtaining essential goods or services, including healthcare (including vaccinations)
• exercise
• attending essential work or childcare
• assisting vulnerable persons
What is considered essential work?
The Queensland Premier has previously written to SPASA Australia outlining the following:
“There is no list of essential services. Details of non-essential businesses, activities, and undertakings can be found in the latest version of the Queensland CHO Public Health Directive titled ‘Non-essential business, activity and undertaking Closure Direction’. If your activity, business or undertaking is not defined by this Direction as ‘non-essential’ it can continue. However, it must comply with all other relevant health directions and guidelines including, for example, directions about social distancing. Special restrictions may apply if you or your employees have been in COVID-19 hot spots.”
The most up to date Restrictions on Businesses, Activities and Undertakings Direction (No. 16) states that a “A restricted business, activity or undertaking is a business, activity or undertaking of the type specified in column 1 of Schedule 1.”
Members are strongly encouraged to review Part 2 Schedule 1 Column 1 (scroll approximately half way down the webpage). If your business activity is not listed, you may continue to trade.
For the avoidance of doubt, Construction, Manufacturing and Pool Retail and Servicing are not listed and therefore are able to continue trading.
Be prepared
Luke Daly, SPASA Australia sales and marketing manager, suggests members who may be stopped and questioned by authorities should ensure that all employees have the following information on hand at all times.
• A copy of this article or the email from SPASA
• A printed copy of this Government web page
• COVID Safe Industry Plans and Checklists.
Check In Qld app
Restricted businesses which include retail must electronically collect and store contact information about all customers at the time of entry unless otherwise specified, by either:
• the Check In Qld app; or
• registering customers and staff through the Business Profile mode of the Check In Qld app.
The Northern Territory
New cases have also been detected in the Northern Territory with lockdown restrictions in place until July 2 in Darwin, and Alice Springs has entered a 72-hour lockdown.
Assistance in NSW
