No jab, no dine interim policy essential and urgent

The Australian Hotels Association of New South Wales wants hospitality workers and pub patrons to have to prove positive vaccination status in order for pubs to re-open as soon as possible.

Director of AHA NSW, John Green says, "We would support a platform where staff and patrons had to be vaccinated if that allowed us to re-open sooner.”

It is, he says, a temporary measure until 70-80 per cent community vaccination rates are achieved.

"Ongoing confusion and uncertainty remains. We have put forward an interim proposal but it is not a mandate. To ensure safety for workers and patrons, workers would need to be vaccinated to be given shifts and patrons would need to prove that they have been vaccinated," explains Mr Green.

"Staff who are not vaccinated would continue to receive support payments from the government. While those who are vaccinated could take up shifts."

Patrons would be able to show their vaccination status as part of their QR check-in. Mr Green suggests that he MyGov vaccination record could be easily integrated with the Service NSW QR app.

If the interim vaccination proposal is enacted, he suggests that hotels and pubs could re-open sooner than the 'magic' 70-80 per cent level.

"It's a temporary measure that gets us open sooner," he says. More than opening sooner, it would also mean venues would remain open with the health and safety of those who work at pubs and hotels, and those who visit, assured.

The Australian Hotels Association's CEO Stephen Ferguson says, “Vaccines are the only way out of this pandemic and we strongly encourage all staff and patrons to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

“There is a lot of speculation about mandatory staff vaccination, vaccine passports and what re-opening for places like Sydney will actually look like when vaccination targets are finally reached. But at this moment the legal basis to compel anyone to have vaccinations is untested."

SPC is the first Australian company to mandate vaccines for all 700 staff as well as visitors at its factories in Shepparton and Emu Plains and offices in Melbourne and Sydney.

Mr Green says that Australian industry will be watching its "no jab, no job" policy closely.

He also supports a 'Super Sunday' where workers are fast-tracked for vaccination and show their RSA Competency Card. At the moment, hospitality workers are booking in for vaccinations in October and November because they are a younger demographic and at the back of the queue.

Mr Green’s comments follow Restaurant & Catering Australia’s Wes Lambert’s round of media interviews late last week when he reported that a survey by the organisation showed 63 per cent of the businesses it represents want the Federal Government to mandate vaccines for the population or to provide businesses an indemnity to require staff to be vaccinated.

The AHA recently attended the government round table to discuss how it could contribute to supporting the vaccine rollout, including communicating the benefits of vaccination directly with staff and customers as well as the possibility of using hotels in remote areas as future vaccine hubs. 

“It is great to have a seat at the table representing our 5,000 members and 250,000 hospitality workforce which has been battling at the economic front-line since the pandemic hit our shores,” Mr Ferguson said at the time.

“The rollout and take up of the vaccine is critical to hospitality, accommodation and tourism being able to open their doors and keep them open.”

However, with a record of 478 cases in New South Wales on Monday, Melbourne’s lockdown extended until 2 September, ACT’s extended for two more weeks and a snap lockdown for Greater Darwin and Katherine, it is hard to see any re-opening - be it alfresco dining or not - before October.