- EIA WA
COVID-19: EVENTS INDUSTRY UPDATE Produced by the Environmental Health Directorate (EHD)Circular 23:
Mask wearing
The mask mandate will apply to all public outdoor gatherings in the Perth Metropolitan Area, the Peel Region, Rottnest Island and the South West of Western Australia, where 100 people or more are gathered for the primary purpose of celebrating Australia Day between 8:00 am and midnight on Wednesday, the 26th January 2022.
Mask requirements continue to be mandatory in all public indoor spaces, including workplaces and in all vehicles, when travelling with anyone who is not an immediate family member.
Anyone who has been in Perth and Peel (including Rottnest Island) regions since Thursday 6 January, 2022 must also follow the mask requirements for two weeks after leaving these regions.
Anyone who has only been in the South West since Wednesday 12 January, 2022 must also follow the mask requirements for two weeks after leaving this region.
Proof of Vaccination
The proof of vaccination requirements have not changed for Australia Day events. The COVID Restrictions (Gatherings and Related Measures) Directions (No. 10) require proof of vaccination for the following venues and events located in the Perth Metropolitan areas, Peel Region, and on Rottnest Island:
Nightclubs
Music festivals and music events (above 500 people)
Pubs, taverns, hotels (hospitality) and Special Facility Licenses with a capacity of more than 500 people or those specific licensed venues that trade after midnight
Events with an Occasional Liquor Licence
The Crown gaming floor
Patrons must show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination, either in a digital or paper-based form, along with approved identification. See the Proof of COVID-19 vaccinations page for more information.
Venues and patrons will have a shared responsibility when it comes to proof of vaccination, with venues required to take reasonable steps to ensure all patrons are fully vaccinated, or exempt. In addition, venues must take ALL reasonable steps to ensure a patron does not remain at the premises if they cannot produce valid evidence.
EXPANDED VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
The WA Premier has announced the expansion of vaccination requirements to a number of new venues, to become enforceable across ALL of Western Australia as of Monday 31st January 2022, including:
Visitors to public and private hospitals, and residential aged care facilities;
All hospitality and food and licensed venues:
including restaurants, dine-in fast food, cafes, bars, pubs, clubs, taverns;
excluding food and non-alcoholic beverage takeaway, roadhouses, and service stations
Bottle shops;
Indoor entertainment venues, including play centres, gaming and gambling, theatres, concert halls, museums, cinemas and live music venues, including the Perth Convention Centre;
Nightclubs;
The Crown Perth complex;
Major stadiums;
Gyms, fitness studios and centres;
Amusement Parks and the Zoo; and
Music festivals and large events with more than 500 people, unless exempt
Community sport and school-based events, unless at one of the specific venues listed, are excluded from the proof of vaccination requirement.
VACCINATION REQUIREMENT - APPLICATION FOR EXCLUSION
The COVID Restrictions (Gatherings and Related Measures) Directions (No. 10) allows the Chief Health Officer or authorised person to exclude a venue or event from having to comply with the vaccination requirements imposed by the Directions.
WA Health will give consideration to alcohol-free outdoor events such as:
Casual picnic-style concerts (with no dancing)
Fully seated concerts
Small community or cultural events
In order to apply for an exclusion, email Public Events with the following information:
Event or venue description
Event date(s)
Event organiser / venue contact details
Capacity
Approving local government
COVID Event Checklist or COVID Event Plan, in accordance with to the COVID Event Guidelines
Site plan
Schedule of performers (if applicable)
Applications should be submitted at least two weeks before the event, where possible.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions have been developed to assist local government and event organisers to understand current requirements: What are my responsibilities as an event organiser to ensure patrons are wearing masks? Patrons should be reminded on entry that they must be wearing masks. Patrons could be offered a mask if they have merely forgotten, or lost their own mask. If they still refuse to comply, reasonable efforts should be made to deny the patron entry. If the individual refuses to leave or becomes aggressive, the event organiser can report the incident to WA Police on 131 444. Do patrons at both indoor and outdoor high risk events (500+) need to be fully vaccinated? Yes, the vaccination requirement applies to both indoor and outdoor high risk events with more than 500 patrons which are located in the "affected area" (the Perth Metropolitan area, the Peel Region, and Rottnest Island) What is a high risk event or venue? A high risk event / venue includes:
Nightclubs
Music festivals and music events (above 500 people)
Pubs, taverns, hotels (hospitality) and Special Facility Licenses with a capacity of more than 500 people or those specific licensed venues that trade after midnight
Events with an Occasional Liquor Licence
The Crown gaming floor
When do licensed venue staff need to be fully vaccinated? All staff, volunteers and performers continue to be captured by the Group 2 Vaccine Mandate. This means they were required to have their first dose by the 31st December 2021, and are still required to be fully vaccinated by the 31st January 2022. When do event staff need to be fully vaccinated? Please note the following changes: All staff, volunteers, and performers working at large events (now 500+) are now required to have their first dose by the 31st January 2022, and are still required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the 28th February 2022, unless captured by the Group 2 Mandate (see above) How will patrons demonstrate proof of vaccination or exemption? Visit Proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for more information about how people can show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations or medical exemptions. The State Government's new integrated mobile app (ServiceWA) makes proof of vaccination easier. How will I check that staff, talent and volunteers are fully vaccinated? It is recommended that staff provide employers with a copy of their vaccination status ahead of a designated large event. These are the easiest ways to show proof of vaccinations:
COVID-19 digital certificate shows proof of only COVID-19 vaccinations
Immunisation history statement shows COVID-19 vaccinations and all other vaccinations an individual has had.
The quickest way for people to access proof of vaccinations is through their Medicare online account through the ServiceWA App, myGov, or through the Express Plus Medicare mobile app. Do children attending high risk events and venues need to be fully vaccinated? People aged 16 years and older will be required to be vaccinated to attend events or venues. While children aged between 5 and 15 years are eligible to be vaccinated, they are not required to show proof of vaccination in order to attend. Who is responsible for ensuring compliance with proof of vaccination requirements at high risk venues and events? Responsibility for ensuring that patrons are vaccinated falls to both the event organiser or owner / occupier (or person in charge of the venue) and the patron. Do events such as markets, food truck evenings need to be fenced to ensure patrons are vaccinated? No. Markets, expos, outdoor conferences, sporting events and other non-high risk events are not captured by the Directions. What do I do if an unvaccinated patron attends a high risk venue or event? Event organisers must deny entry to unvaccinated patrons who cannot provide the required proof where vaccination is a requirement to attend. If the individual refuses to leave, the event organiser can report the incident to WA Police on 131 444.
COVID-19 EXPOSURE LOCATIONS
The Department of Health is in the process of identifying close and casual contacts, and locations visited. People are asked to check the exposure sites list regularly and monitor their health and get tested immediately and self-quarantine, if they develop symptoms. If you have visited an exposure site, you are required to follow the corresponding health advice issued for that location.
KEY CONTACTS
For all queries related to events in WA, contact the Public Events Team
Dedicated Police Number - 131 444 WA COVID-19 Hotline - 13 268 43