Thursday 18 June 2020
Good evening
Today’s stage 2 update includes information on:
- Nightclub trading
- Groups and social distancing
- Collecting contact information
- Designated outdoor smoking areas
- Documents you must display.
Nightclub trading
If you have a nightclub licence, under stage 2 you:
- Can serve food and drink on a ‘seated, separated and served’ basis
- Can’t provide normal nightclub entertainment services, such as dancefloors or live bands
- Can only accept a maximum of 20 patrons if you operate under a COVID Safe Checklist or 20 patrons per defined area, if you operate under the Queensland Hotels and Clubs Industry COVID Safe Plan. The 1 person per 4sqm rule applies to all.
Groups and social distancing
The checklists in the Queensland Hotels and Clubs Industry COVID Safe Plan provide guidance on how you should manage physical distancing in your venue.
Individuals from the same household or social group can occupy the same, or adjacent, table and do not need to be seated 1.5m apart.
Tables occupied by different groups should be 1.5m apart.
Collecting contact information
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:
- name
- address
- mobile phone number
- date/time period of patronage
Collecting the date and time period of patronage is a new requirement of the Chief Health Officer’s Direction.
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.
You do not need to collect contact details for patrons buying takeaway.
Designated outdoor smoking areas (DOSAs)
We have received questions about if food and drink can be served or consumed in DOSAs.
Food or drink cannot be served in a DOSA, and smoking laws prohibit patrons from taking food into a DOSA.
A patron may take their drink into the DOSA however this should not result in them being in that area for any longer than it takes for them to have their smoke.
Under stage 2, licensed venues can only operate their DOSAs if:
- they are only used for the purpose of smoking – smokers should return to the seat in their allocated defined area as soon as they have finished smoking
- no more than one person per four square metres is permitted in the DOSA
- social distancing is observed
- existing smoking laws are complied with.
Documents you must display
If you are operating under an approved Industry COVID Safe Plan, you must display a completed Statement of Compliance.
If you are operating under a COVID Safe Checklist, you must display the completed and signed checklist.
Your statement or checklist must be in a visible location.
If using an approved Industry COVID Safe Plan, you do not need to display the whole plan but should have it available if asked by an enforcement officer.
Whether you use the plan or the checklist, follow the simple message of Seated, Separated, Served to ensure compliance.
