Cafes, hotels, real estate agents, art galleries in regional vax trial

Hotels, cinemas, cafes and art galleries will have increased capacities under regional Victoria’s “vaccinated economy” trial. See how it could impact you.

Bendigo Art Gallery director Jessica Bridgfoot is excited about the vaccinated economy trial. Picture: Zizi Averill

Up to 300 members can attend a horse racing meeting while a number of hotels, cinemas, cafes and art galleries will have increased capacities under regional Victoria’s “vaccinated economy” trials starting on Monday.

The trials will be held for 14 businesses and events in six regional local government areas with patrons having to show proof of being double vaccinated to attend.

The participants in the regional trial are:

• Bass Coast – North Pier Hotel in Cowes, Churchill Island Cafe
• Buloke – Terminus Hotel in Wycheproof
• East Gippsland – East Gippsland Art Gallery in Bairnsdale, Lakes Squash and Movie Theatre in Lakes Entrance.
• Greater Bendigo – Anglican Church of Australia in Flora Hill, Bendigo Art Gallery, Village Cinemas in Bendigo, Body Fit Training in Bendigo
• Pyrenees – Avoca Hotel
• Warrnambool – Darlings of Beauty, Roberts One Real Estate, Warrnambool Racing Club (race meeting), Warrnambool Art Gallery.
  

Warrnambool Racing Club chief executive Tom O’Connor said 300 members could attend Thursday’s race meeting.

“It will be a different experience to a full-blown race meeting,” he said.

“There’ll be some separation between the patrons and the racing participants, but they’ll be able to come on course and enjoy the eight races on the card.”

Three hundred members will be able to attend Thursday’s race meeting in Warrnambool under the vaccinated economy trial.

Mr O’Connor said the club had held Covid-safe meetings throughout the pandemic making it better prepared for the trial.

“There’s not a huge amount of impost on us to deliver a Covid-safe event under the double vaccination strategy,” he said.

“The key to what we’ll be doing on Thursday is testing the new systems that will be used by every business and organisation … that will be implemented in the coming months I guess.

“Anything we can do to test new systems, educate our staff and prepare us for the pathway out, is a huge positive for the club.”

Bendigo Art Gallery director Jessica Bridgfoot said the trial was a positive step for the arts, culture and tourism sectors which had been hit hard by the pandemic.

“This is probably the first time we’ve had a real, tangible step forward in our industry with this roadmap as to things opening up ‘properly’, so we’re excited that we can help kickstart that,” she said.

The gallery’s capacity will increase from 150 to 250 patrons as patrons from Tuesday.

Ms Bridgfoot said the trial would give staff a sense of security knowing patrons would be fully vaccinated.

“We’ve opened and closed seven times during the last 18 months here,” she said.

“Every time there’s a different setting, there are different rules and regulations and they (front-of-house staff) really are the face of the organisation and are physically moving around spaces.”

The trials will test the vaccine certification technology, confirm the best processes for establishing vaccination status, and train staff and provide support for business owners and the public of vaccine requirements.

People attending a trial business or event will need to show they are fully vaccinated with a digital certificate displayed through the Service Victoria app, Medicare app, or equivalent smartphone wallet.

People without a smart phone will need to get a printed version of their certificate or immunisation history statement, or provide evidence of a valid exemption.

To obtain the digital certificate, people will need to add it to the Service Victoria app through MyGov or the Express Medicare Plus App.