Only fully vaccinated patrons will be allowed into hospitality venues regardless of a venue’s policies when NSW hits the 70 per cent double dose target.
That was the firm message from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian who yesterday clarified the rules for venues, saying all patrons and all staff must be fully vaccinated when the state hits its 70 per cent double dose target.
“It will be the law that if you’re not vaccinated, you can’t attend those venues that are on our roadmap. You can’t go into a hospitality venue, you can’t go to ticketed events unless you are vaccinated.”
The Premier also said the government is still considering what will happen when NSW hits the 80 per cent double dose target, and that more would be communicated with industry about this.
“This is uncharted territory, but what we are doing is providing as much certainty as possible,” she said. “In good time, in plenty of notice, we will be giving everyone a roadmap of what 80 per cent will look like.”
The update came as first doses in the state hit 80 per cent yesterday, representing a major milestone on the roadmap to freedom.
Once the state hits the 70 per cent double vaccination target, hospitality venues can reopen with one person per 4sqm inside and one person per 2sqm outside, with standing while drinking only permitted outside, according to the NSW Government’s roadmap to freedom that was announced last week.
Masks will remain mandatory for all indoor public venues, including front-of-house hospitality, retail and business premises, although only hospitality staff will be required to wear a mask when outdoors.
Meanwhile, the first trials of the state’s vaccine passport app are set to kick off soon to ensure they are ready for use by venues after the 70 per cent double dose target is met. October 4 is the date that testing is expected to begin in regional NSW, ahead of a broader rollout.
Last week Customer Services Minister Victor Dominello shared an example of the vaccine passport app (pictured above) to be used in venues to allow fully vaccinated patrons to display a green tick on their phones when checking in. The system will integrate the current Service NSW QR check-in system with the MyGov Medicare vaccine certificate.
“As promised – this is what your vaccination status could look like through the QR check-in on the ServiceNSW app,” the minister posted on his Instagram account. “Aiming to undertake testing later this month and some pilots in the first half of next month.”
The UK government, meanwhile, has this week reportedly dropped its plans to introduce a vaccine passport to allow entry into pubs, nightclubs and crowded events.