STAGE 3 TRADING GUIDE

On Tuesday the Premier announced the Stage 3 easing of restrictions will commence at midday Friday 3 July 2020, one week earlier than the original 10 July date.

See the updated Roadmap to easing Queensland’s restrictions HERE

The QHA provides the following guidance for Members to trade compliantly in Stage 3:

CONTINUE TO COLLECT CONTACT TRACING DETAILS

All venues must collect and keep contact information for ALL guests and staff attending their venue.

The following information for each person must be recorded and retained for a period of 56 days:

Date / Name / Address OR email / Phone number / Time period of patronage

QHA encourages venues to collect the TIME OF ARRIVAL for patrons, as the ‘time period of patronage’ will be from that point onwards. It is understood that for many hotel venues it may not be possible or practical to record the time a patron leaves the venue.

Privacy and accuracy 

These records must be complete and accurate, as they are critical for health authorities to contact trace efficiently if a person subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19 attended your venue. Ensure there is sufficient supervision of patrons entering their correct details.

Be mindful of patron privacy – ensure details of unrelated groups are not visible to each other. If using a master sign-in sheet cover the details of previous entries.

For QHA Contact Tracing Details Form -  CLICK HERE 

UPDATED STAGE 3 INDUSTRY COVID SAFE PLAN AND CHECKLISTS

QHA has submitted amendments to our Industry COVID Safe Plan for Stage 3 which includes COVID Safe Checklists for:

  • Food and Beverage
  • Reception and communal areas
  • Gaming Rooms
  • Entertainment- DJ and Live performances, and
  • Adult Entertainment areas

When approved the Stage 3 Hotels and Clubs Industry COVID Safe Plan - link provided as soon as approved.

Under Stage 3, you must operate under either

  • an approved COVID Safe Plan, or
  • where a business elects not to operate under an Approved Plan – an applicable COVID Safe Checklist, for a maximum of 50 people.

Venues should have the Hotels and Clubs Industry COVID Safe Plan (Stage 3) available on request for inspection by authorities.

CALCULATE YOUR VENUE CAPACITY FOR TOTAL NUMBER OF PATRONS ALLOWED

Stage 3 trading is now based on a venue’s total floor space (venue capacity). The requirement for ‘defined areas’ (pods of 20 patrons at 1:4m2) has been removed.

The maximum number of patrons permitted in any venue at any one time is determined by the 4 square metre (sqm) rule (1:4m2). There no limit on the maximum number of patrons you may in total under the rule.

Smaller venues with a floor space of 200 sqm or less can have up to 1 person per 2 sqm, to a maximum total of 50 patrons at a time.

Calculating your capacity:

Determining your venue capacity is based on the total area of your business which is open to or used by the public (for example, for a cafe or restaurant, the dining area, but not the kitchen).

Note - the distribution of patrons across areas of the venue is not strictly mandated by the 1:4m2 rule in line with the removal of the defined areas (pods of 20 patrons). For example, in the dining room there may be 2 tables of 10 people, appropriately spaced, in an area less than 80m2.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

The Direction from the Chief Health Officer in the Restrictions on Businesses, Activities and Undertakings Direction (No.3) expressly refers in 6.:

  1. Public health controls

Note – people should observe physical distancing to the extent possible.

Public health controls are measures to reduce public health risks. These measures may include environmental cleaning, hygiene measures, regular washing of hands, availability of hand sanitiser and avoiding handshaking.

Although physical distancing is the responsibility the patrons, venues should encourage this via complying with their total venue capacity number, signage, furniture placement and management of points of sale areas.

By complying with the total capacity as based on 1:4m2 rule, venues are providing adequate opportunity for people to observe physical distancing.

FOOD AND DRINK SERVICE

Patrons can now go to the bar/bistro and other points of sale to order, pay and take their food and beverages back with them to their table.  Points of sale should be managed to support physical distancing by use of signage, markers, supervision and patron numbers controls.

The requirement for full table service and seated drinking and/or eating has been removed in Stage 3.

Buffets

No self-service buffets are allowed in Stage 3. However, staff-served buffets are permissible. These must be managed by venues with the appropriate hygiene mitigations, and patrons can go up to a buffet and order their food as long as they are not serving themselves.

Refer to the approved Industry COVID Safe Plan - COVID Safe Checklist Food and Beverage Areas: - link provided as soon as approved.

GAMING

Increased cleaning and hygiene measures are in place in gaming rooms as per the approved Industry COVID Safe Plan.

As per the physical distancing advice ‘above’ and within a venue’s total capacity, all gaming machines may be operational.

Gaming cashier and CRT points of sale should be managed to support physical distancing by use of signage, markers, supervision and patron numbers controls.

Refer to the approved Industry COVID Safe Plan - COVID Safe Gaming Room Checklist: - link provided as soon as approved.

DESIGNATED OUTDOOR SMOKING AREAS (DOSA’S)

In Stage 3 DOSA’s are ‘back to normal’ - patrons can drink and smoke in DOSA’s. You cannot consume food in a DOSA or be served drinks into a DOSA.

ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES

Entertainment- DJ and Live performances

Venues can host live performances in line with the approved Industry COVID Safe Plan.

Refer to the COVID Safe Checklist Entertainment (DJ and Live Entertainment): HERE

Dance Floors
Venues that include a dance floor must not operate that dance floor for dancing, other than as a dance studio or for a dance class.

Pool tables

Operation of pool tables is allowed in Stage 3 as the seated requirement has been removed.

ID SCANNING

Regulated premises subject to ID scanning requirements in Safe Night Precincts must fully comply with all scanning requirements from 10pm on Friday 3 July 2020 i.e. regulated licensees who are authorised to sell alcohol after midnight on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and the day before a Public Holiday or are open past 1am on Monday to Thursday nights must use their ID Scanner to scan IDs from 10pm.

Former approved operator QikID is in liquidation and as a result, no longer provides ID scanning services.  This means QIkID customers, who have not yet engaged a new approved operator, are required to use manual ban lists provided by the Queensland Police Service.

This is a temporary arrangement and all former QikID customers must engage a new approved operator by no later than 10 July 2020.

REQUIRED SIGNAGE FOR VENUES TRADING UNDER THE INDUSTRY COVID SAFE PLAN
  • Statement of Compliance – must be displayed (no change)
  • Stage 3 Industry COVID SAFE Plan – to be available on request (updated from the Stage 2 Plan)
  • Stage 3 Checklists from the COVID SAFE Plan – to be available on request (updated from the Stage 2 Plan)
  • Optional – the total venue capacity and number of patrons allowed. This does not have to be displayed but should be known to demonstrate compliance.
  • As required- range of hygiene, physical distancing, and supporting signage.