Check in or face a hefty fine

Local businesses must comply with state government CovidSafe requirements or risk hefty fines.

Requirements include vaccinated staff, customer check in, wearing masks indoors, and complying with density limits. Restaurants and cafes are also required to ensure customers have proof of double vaccination status.

Not following the state government directives is a risk, warned Kim Storey from Destination Phillip Island.

“There are Covid inspectors that come here from the department and Bass Coast is usually heavily visited,” she said.

“They regularly go to various regions, but as a tourist destination only two hours from Melbourne, we are an easy target.”

Fines can range from $1817 to $10,904, and serious or blatant non-compliance could result in fines of up to $109,044. Customers who provide false information about their vaccination status may be fined $10,904.

Kim said she believed most customers understood it was not the business owners’ decision to bring in the checks, and generally were understanding.

However DPI is offering a workshop this week entitled “Don’t Shoot the Messenger”, to help businesses deal with enforcing government Covid regulations.

The workshop is designed to help navigate tough conversations and communicate with empathy.

Business response

Some food venues have chosen to continue as takeaway only, rather than enforce the double vaccination requirement.

Mandy Spitzer from the Tropicana Motor Inn in Cowes said while all staff were vaccinated, they were not required to check customers’ vaccination status.

“Accommodation currently do not have to ask guests if they are double vaccinated – I believe this is because the government does not want to stop any emergency accommodation from happening,” she said.

“I also think this would be a hard for us to regulate as often people will come in after reception has closed and we don’t actually see them. We are lucky I believe that all our rooms are separate and entrance doors are outdoors all heating and cooling is to each individual room so there is no chance of spread this way.

“We have also decided that we are not physically entering people’s rooms while they are staying with us and will leave the doors open for a while before we enter to allow for air circulation to occur.”

Sally Matthews from Getaway Phillip Island said all staff and contractors that come into contact with guests are fully vaccinated.

“Guests in accommodation do not have to be double vaxxed. It is up to providers to make the decisions and as our guests are staying in one property and not mixing, I don’t see it as an issue.”

However she said standard Covid check-in rules applied at each property and hand sanitiser was supplied.

From November 24, or when Victoria reaches the 90 per cent fully vaccinated mark (whichever happens first), retail stores (except those classified as essential retail) will also have to check customer vaccination status.

Details of business and customer vaccination requirements at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au