From 17 December 2021, restrictions will ease for many businesses and fully vaccinated Queenslanders. These new measures will help to unite families, support our business community and keep all of us safe.

Non-essential leisure businesses – hospitality and entertainment venues – that are only allowed to permit entry to vaccinated staff and patrons, will no longer need to follow capacity restrictions.

To manage the new measures these businesses will need to:

• display the vaccination rules at the business premises
• use best efforts to ask for evidence of vaccination from customers at the time of check-in (this is a legal requirement) through one of the following:
  • the Check in Qld app
  • an immunisation history statement
  • a COVID-19 vaccination digital certificate
• if a customer cannot or refuses to provide evidence, ask the person to leave the premises
• if the person refuses to the leave the premises, call the police.

Essential businesses can also voluntarily elect to adopt these measures if they believe it best suits their business needs and customer expectations.

Queenslanders can now link their COVID-19 vaccination certificate to the Check In Qld app. This means customers can check in and show they are fully vaccinated, all through the app.

The Queensland Government has been working closely with industry bodies to deliver a range of resources including signage to support businesses to manage entry of patrons under the new measures.

Signage for businesses indicating vaccination requirements is now available from the Business Queensland website.

Frequently asked questions are available from the Queensland Health website which are being updated regularly to provide additional clarification.

In partnership with TAFE Queensland, work is also underway to provide free online training resources for businesses to help them manage the entry of customers, including checking their vaccination status. The training will include a module on how to de-escalate difficult customers and guidance for essential businesses to make decisions whether to voluntarily elect to adopt these measures. These resources will be available from 1 December from the TAFE Queensland website.

A campaign is currently underway that highlights the importance of treating businesses and their staff with respect.

For access to the latest information and support visit the Business Queensland website