From 17 December 2021, restrictions on businesses will be eased further. Some businesses must apply restrictions for people, including employees, who are not fully vaccinated.

Read the:

• restrictions for unvaccinated people and detailed frequently asked questions
• public health and social measures linked to vaccination status direction (effective 5am, 17 December 2021).

Eased restrictions for businesses

From 17 December 2021, there will be no capacity restrictions on businesses where only fully vaccinated people can attend, including:

• hospitality venues such as hotels, pubs, clubs, taverns, bars, restaurants, cafes or dine-in at fast food (quick service) restaurants
• indoor entertainment venues such as nightclubs, live music venues, karaoke bars, concerts, theatres, cinemas or casinos
• outdoor entertainment activities such as sporting stadiums or theme parks
• festivals – either indoor or outdoor – such as musical festivals, folk festivals or arts festivals
• activities – either indoor or outdoor – such as convention centres and showgrounds
• Queensland Government-owned galleries, museums or libraries
• weddings (only if all attendees are fully vaccinated).

Venues used for private hire will have no capacity limit if people attending are fully vaccinated. Density restrictions will apply if anyone attending isn't fully vaccinated. This means a maximum of 20 people or 1 per 4 square meters, whichever is less.

Essential services and activities

Essential businesses will be able to allow both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Capacity restrictions may still be in place at these types of businesses.

Unvaccinated people will be able to visit and attend:

• essential services (e.g. grocery stores, pharmacies, post offices, newsagents, clothing stores, limited retail stores, gyms and fitness services)
• food courts
• shopping centres (except for businesses within a shopping centre that only allow fully vaccinated people)
• fast food (quick service) restaurants for takeaway or drive-through only
• accommodation providers (e.g. a hotel or resort), except for any venues within an accommodation premises that only allow fully vaccinated people (e.g. pub, restaurant, nightclub)
• markets (e.g. farmers market, craft market, community market)
• funerals (occupant density limits and attendance caps will apply)
• weddings (with a maximum of 20 people if anyone attending is unvaccinated).

Density restrictions may still apply to:

• places of worship
• community facilities (e.g. community centres and halls, recreation centres, youth centres, community clubs, RSLs, PCYCs)
• businesses (e.g. supermarkets, pharmacies, retail shopping centres or banks)
• government services (e.g. licensing and registration services, Queensland Courts)
• taxis, rideshares or limousine service
• auction houses, real estate auctions and open-house inspections
• beauty and personal care services (e.g. hairdressing, beauty therapy, nail services, day spas and wellness centres)
• zoos and aquariums
• gyms and physical fitness centres
• markets
• dine-in canteens in military bases, schools, university dormitories and mining bases.

Checking vaccination status

Hospitality and entertainment businesses need to collect contact information, proof of vaccination or evidence of medical contraindication from all staff, guests and patrons by using the Check In Qld app.

Customers aged 16 years or over must carry proof of their vaccination status and be prepared to show this on request.

You need to make reasonable efforts to request to sight and record COVID-19 vaccination details of staff through proof of vaccination documentation.

You must take reasonable steps to enforce these restrictions.

You must:

• display the vaccination rules in a prominent location at the entry of your business premises
• use best efforts to ask for proof of vaccination from your customers at the time of check-in (this is a legal requirement) through:
  • 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 and becomes aggressive, phone the police.

More details will be available soon on arrangements that will apply for people who have a genuine medical reason for not being vaccinated, and what proof of exemption they must provide to a business.

We don't expect business owners or staff to be the police. If customers are refusing to comply and become aggressive, phone the police.

Signage for businesses

Display these signs to clearly show if proof of vaccination is required to enter your business:

• From 17 December – Proof of vaccination will be required sign
• Proof of vaccination required sign
• Proof of vaccination not required sign.

Be kind at Check In time campaign

The 'Be kind at Check In time' campaign has been launched to remind Queenslanders to respect businesses and their staff as they support the public health measures.

View this suite of posters and social media images and share to show your support for the campaign.

Check In Qld app

If your business is required to use the Check In Qld app, you must still ensure all customers, staff and visitors to your premises are checking in.

Vaccination certificates can now be linked into the Check In Qld app to make it simple for your customers to prove vaccination status.

Learn more about checking vaccination status through the Check In Qld app.

Vaccination requirements for staff, service providers and contractors

If you run a business delivering non-essential leisure services, your staff must be fully vaccinated by 17 December. If a staff member has only had 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine they will not be able to work until they have had their second dose.

Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman for advice on how to manage mandatory vaccination requirements for your employees, or seek your own legal advice.

Unvaccinated service providers who provide a contactless service can do so for a business that only allows fully vaccinated people. For example, an unvaccinated delivery driver can pick up food from a restaurant and then make a contactless delivery.

Service providers must be fully vaccinated if they need to conduct work inside a business premises that only allows vaccinated people. For example, a security guard must be fully vaccinated to work at a pub or nightclub.

There are exceptions for emergency maintenance work. For example, an unvaccinated plumber could enter a restricted business to fix a burst pipe.

COVID Safe online training

A free online training course is available to help you implement the new measures and manage the entry of customers and visitors, including checking their vaccination status.

The COVID Safe For Business course is available from TAFE Queensland.

More information

Learn about Queensland restrictions from 17 December 2021.

View the public health and social measures linked to vaccination status plan.