The Department of Health has recommended changes to encourage more people into venues to support local businesses and to allow for safe travel arrangements into Western Australia from Victoria.
In line with advice from the Chief Health Officer, many venues across the State will be able to operate at up to 75 per cent of their normal capacity. Venues can choose to operate under the two-square-metre rule if it allows for greater patronage.
The change will apply to major stadiums, restaurants, cafes, food courts and bars, indoor and outdoor auditoriums and amphitheatres, theatres, concert halls and performing arts centres and cinemas and comedy lounges.
It will also apply to community and recreation facilities, including community halls and sporting clubs, places of worship and funeral parlours.
The two-square-metre rule will continue to apply to unfixed seating venues such as unseated events and festivals, pop-up events, museums, amusements parks and the zoo.
The Department said contact registers would remain mandatory at most venues.
It said the changes would come into effect next Monday (15 March) pending no further outbreaks and the latest health advice.
Victoria will transition from ‘low risk’ to ‘very low risk’ at the same time, pending no further outbreaks.
Under the ‘very low risk’ category, safe travel is permitted into Western Australia subject to certain conditions.
Minister for Health, Roger Cook said the changes were a great outcome for business and entertainment venues everywhere.
“The State Government will continue to work with them on how they operate in a COVID-safe way as we come out of this crisis,” Mr Cook said.
“As the State Government looks forward to these new measures it is timely to remind everyone to keep using the SafeWA app to help our contact tracing teams.”
