From 17 December 2021, restrictions on businesses will be further eased. Many businesses and venues will be able to return to operating at full capacity. However, there will be restrictions on people who are not fully vaccinated. When the Queensland Government ease border restrictions, COVID-19 will start to circulate in our community. To ensure we don’t overwhelm our hospital system when we have outbreaks, some restrictions on unvaccinated people are necessary. These changes will commence on 17 December 2021, regardless of when 80 per cent of Queenslanders aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated.
From 17 December 2021, there will be no capacity restrictions on businesses that are only permitted to allow fully vaccinated people to attend, including:
Venues used for private hire will have no capacity limit if people attending are fully vaccinated. However, if there is person attending who is not fully vaccinated, COVID-19 density restrictions will apply. This means a maximum of 20 people or 1 per 4 square meters, whichever is less.
A business operator must collect contact information, proof of vaccination or evidence of medical contraindication from all staff, guests and patrons when entering an establishment by using the Check In Qld app.
If a business operator cannot use the Check In Qld app, they must use alternative measures to record the contact information details.
Any member of staff must give their contact information, proof of COVID-19 vaccination or evidence of medical contraindication by using the Check In Qld app or another measure of record keeping before entering their place of work.
A staff member is not required to give their contact information, proof of vaccination or evidence of medical contraindication if they are:
A person must give their contact information, proof of COVID-19 vaccination or evidence of medical contraindication by using the Check In Qld app or another measure of record keeping before entering a business establishment.
A person may give these entry requirements on behalf of another person who:
A person is not required to give their contact information, proof of vaccination or evidence of medical contraindication if they are:
From 17 December 2021, unvaccinated people will be unable to:
If anyone attending a wedding is unvaccinated, it is restricted to a maximum of 20 people.
Funerals will not be limited to only vaccinated people. This is because funeral sometimes occur at short notice and often under difficult circumstances making it hard to ensure all attendees are vaccinated. However, funerals will still be required to comply with occupant density limits and caps on attendees to minimise the risk of transmission.
These restrictions target non-essential leisure activities which are not essential for people to meet their basic needs, but present a considerable risk to contributing to an outbreak in our community when our borders reopen.
There will be visitor restrictions for unvaccinated people in vulnerable facilities including hospitals and healthcare facilities. These restrictions will not apply to:
No child or young person or their parent, carer or guardian will be denied access to care or treatment based on their vaccination status.
We recognise that children and young people generally present to hospital and other healthcare services with a parent, carer or guardian and will ensure that family support is continued in a COVID-safe way.
There will be some restrictions for unvaccinated parents, carers and guardians accompanying a child or young person to healthcare facilities. These include:
There may be situations that require special consideration which will be worked through on a case-by-case basis as required. This includes an exemption request for a second parent, carer or guardian to attend an appointment or admission.
There are no restrictions for unvaccinated siblings and other visitors under 16 years of age.
The safety of patients, families and staff is a priority, and ongoing infection control measures will ensure safe, timely and consistent access to healthcare for children and young people throughout the next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people will be able to access essential services and activities. This means unvaccinated people will still be able to go to grocery stores, pharmacies, post offices, news agents and clothing stores, and participate in activities like going to the gym for exercise.
Capacity restrictions may still be in place at these types of businesses.
People will still need to check-in to venues. This is important to support contact tracing if there is a case at a venue. Vaccinated people can still carry the virus, although the risk is reduced.
Fully vaccinated means a person has had the required two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine by 16 December 2021. It does not include a booster shot or a two-week wait after the second dose.
If you are already required to be vaccinated by an earlier date under another public health direction or the Health Employment Directive, you must be vaccinated by the earlier date.
Proof of vaccination verifies that a person is fully vaccinated. You must show either a printed or electronic form before entering a business establishment or venue.
There are 3 different types of proof available that you can get for free:
The COVID-19 vaccination certificate can be viewed or printed through:
How to add your proof of vaccination status to the Chick in Qld app.
The persons who are exempted from getting a COVID-19 vaccination include:
A person who cannot be vaccinated must show an evidence of contraindication. This is a medical certificate stating that a person is exempted from getting a COVID-19 vaccination. This can be downloaded from the Australian Immunisation Register. ‘
A legally qualified medical practitioner is required to complete the medical exemption form and record this on the Australian Immunisation Register.
A person that has evidence of a medical contraindication will be treated as if they are fully vaccinated and may be permitted to enter and remain in business venues with eased restrictions for fully vaccinated people.
The exemption to getting a COVID-19 vaccination for those undertaking a medical trial is temporary. A person must show a letter from a legally qualified medical practitioner certifying that they are taking part in a COVID-19 trial that includes the expiry date of the trial.
Persons with this exemption will be treated as if they are fully vaccinated and may be permitted to enter and remain in business venues for fully vaccinated people.
It would be appreciated if you could please advise your community of these important messages to assist in stopping the spread of COVID-19.
Stay safe and keep up-to-date.