Key information:
From 11.59pm, Friday 25 March:
- outdoor gathering limits will be removed and outdoor face mask requirements removed.
- indoor gathering limits at Red will increase to 200.
- individuals are no longer required to QR scan and businesses no longer required to provide QR codes.
- The requirement to be seated and separated at Red is unchanged. Masks are still required indoors.
From 11.59pm, Monday 4 April:
- From 11.59pm, 4 April – My Vaccine Passes will no longer be required by customers in order to enter those venues covered by the Pass.
- From 11.59pm, 4 April – vaccine mandates will be removed for the hospitality industry. Workers will not be required to be vaccinated to work in hospitality businesses.
- All restrictions other than mask wearing requirements removed at Orange but extra guidance on holding safe events, and a new requirement for workers to wear masks at indoor events to be introduced.
- Settings will next be reviewed 4th April.
We welcome the news of easing restriction – the number limit changes at Red and removal of My Vaccine Pass and scanning requirements will hopefully give a boost to consumer confidence.
However, we are concerned that the requirement to be seated and separated remains and know that this creates many challenges for operating at Red, reducing capacity and forcing some businesses into a style of operating that isn’t necessarily a workable fit. Whilst we continue to deal with restrictions, we are advocating for a wage subsidy as an additional support measure to get the hospitality industry through this current outbreak. The traffic light settings will next be reviewed on 4th April and we are also advocating for a move to Orange as soon as possible, where the additional requirements to be seated and separated will be removed.