Great Southern venues have their say as they get ready for proof-of-vaccination requirements on January 31

Venues across the Great Southern are making last-minute preparations for new COVID-19 vaccination restrictions on patrons. From Monday, those aged 16 years and over will be required to prove they have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to gain entry to pubs, cafes, restaurants, liquor stores, gyms and large events across the State. With the expanded mandates now just days away, many local venues are grappling with what the new health directive will mean to their workplaces. At Woodanilling Tavern, owner and Shire president Stephen Jefferies said he would be closely following the government protocols. “We have put all the measures in place — the QR codes, the signage,” he said. As many of the tavern’s patrons are local, Mr Jefferies has been making note of who has and has not already proved their vaccination status. Despite the measures, he said there was always a concern some staff might be abused by unvaccinated patrons. “We will obviously deal with them in a professional manner,” Mr Jefferies said. “However, we are going to cop it no matter what.” Other venues are more concerned about how they are going to police the proof-of-vaccination policy. In Kojonup, Commercial Hotel manager David Jackson is dealing with a “critical” staffing shortage which is the worst in his 32 years of running hospitality venues. He said while the hotel’s skeleton staff would scrutinise everyone’s vaccination status, managing the new requirement would be difficult. “We have two staff — we can’t really afford to have someone at the door seeing if everyone is vaccinated,” he said Mr Jackson said it should be up to the State Government, not individual venues, to police the proof-of-vaccination mandates. “They’re not going to organise security staff for us, are they?” he said. “That’s not our job to scrutinise it. The Government should be held to account for its actions.” Outside of the hospitality industry, the Katanning Recreation and Leisure Centre is one of the local venues which will affected by the mandates. Shire of Katanning chief executive Julian Murphy said the council was weighing the risks are to council workers. “Obviously if council staff are abused, it becomes a workplace health and safety issue, so we are looking at safety protocols,” he said. Mr Murphy said the council was waiting for more directions from the State Government about other venues and events covered by the mandates. “There are things like council meetings which are not currently covered that might be,” he said. “Questions have been asked by (the Western Australian Local Government Association) and we expect an answer back soon.” High-risk venues in the Perth and Peel regions have been covered by the proof-of-vaccination requirements since January 4, when it was introduced to reduce the spread of the Delta variant. The Statewide expansion of the policy comes after Premier Mark McGowan’s decision to delay indefinitely the reopening of the WA border. In a statement last Thursday, Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the Omicron variant was a “game changer”. “As we head towards our safe transition it is essential that we implement the necessary public health and social measures to protect ourselves,” she said. “Proof of vaccination is one of these important measures and I know businesses and communities across the State will embrace these new measures, just as those in the Perth and Peel regions have done these past few weeks.”