PUBS PUSHING PASSPORTS FOR EARLIER REOPENING

The hotel industry is in talks with government on the pragmatic realities of reopening venues, based in vaccination rates rather than the seemingly uncontrollable case numbers.

Hotels in NSW are reportedly considering supporting unvaccinated staff and patrons not being allowed into venues, in an effort to allow industry to reopen earlier.

Government is considering allowing most venues and retail businesses to reopen once 70 per cent of adults in the State are fully vaccinated, and it’s hoped this milestone will be reached mid-October.

The AHA is in discussions with government about a vaccination requirement to enter pubs, as an earlier interim step and incentive for people to get the vaccine.

Large gatherings would not be permitted, and measures such as density limits and QR codes would continue for anyone entering public places.

The AHA’s plan is based in voluntary incentive and does not include requiring staff or patrons to get vaccinated, but could allow venues to reopen safely to those that have made the choice to get the jab.

NSW counts around 8 million residents and has so far administered around 6.8 million doses of the vaccines. Deputy Premier John Barilaro recently said they expect the 70 per cent coverage target to be achieved in around seven weeks.

Meanwhile, the number of cases attributed to NSW’s second wave has surpassed 20,000, and surveys are finding between 10 and 20 per cent of people are saying they do not want to be inoculated.

Any discussion of mandatory vaccines for staff will need to consider issues of industrial relations, privacy and discrimination, but the AHA counters it is incumbent on businesses to provide a safe workplace.

“If you want to come to our venues and have a meal and a drink, it would be reasonable to be vaccinated,” said AHA director John Green of the plan to restrict pubs to people that are fully vaccinated.

Victorian precincts are even more desperate to find the roadmap out of lockdowns. Melbourne’s Chapel Street Precinct is calling on government to find a way to allow businesses to reopen to protected locals.

This came alongside announcement from the Premier that Victoria’s current (sixth) lockdown will be further extended. Premier Daniel Andrews’ office cited the speed of spread of the Delta variant, and Health Office advice it is unlikely they will be able to bring case numbers down.

According to a survey by the R&CA, 63 per cent of hospitality businesses want to see COVID-19 vaccines made mandatory amongst staff, either via Federal Government mandate on hospitality workers, or permission for them to mandate it themselves. The R&CA wants use of public health orders to prevent unvaccinated staff and customers entering venues, thereby removing legal liability from the business owner.

The survey also questioned business owners on also mandating vaccination for customers, but this elicited a more hesitant response of just over 50 per cent, as operators expect issues around privacy and discrimination and their capacity to check every customer’s vaccine status.

Modelling on infection rates by the Doherty Institute, used by the state governments, suggests the rise in cases numbers will see states face prolonged periods of strict lockdown while daily numbers remain above 1000. It predicts strict measures nearly half the time with 70 per cent of the population vaccinated, and a third of the time at 80 per cent.

The modelling shows only partial TTIQ (test, trace, isolation and quarantine) infection response is likely when cases are above 1000, and light or moderate restrictions “will likely be insufficient to regain control of epidemics” even at 70 per cent population coverage.

Today’s press conference saw Premier Gladys Berejiklian predict the numbers in NSW will get worse before they get better, much due to the time delay between someone getting infected and ending up in hospital. She anticipates at the current rate hospitalisations will peak “at some stage in October”.

Nevertheless, the NSW Government is telling businesses to start “dusting off” their COVID safety plans, with expectation of capacity restrictions and QR Code check-in.

“This is the month we’re asking everyone to get ready to open up again.

“No matter where you live, life will be much, much better, much freer, as long as you’re vaccinated,”