Businesses failing to comply with health directions are on their last warning after eight of 10 businesses checked by Access Canberra on Sunday were caught breaking rules.
Throughout this lockdown, ACT Policing, Access Canberra and Worksafe ACT have been conducting business compliance checks in unison.
“This is a problem. We are now moving beyond warnings. Repeat offenders will have to be closed,” ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said today.
The Chief Minister said the breaches in question are predominantly mask wearing in hospitality venues and, in some instances, click-and-collect arrangements.
“I don’t want to single out the hospitality industry, overall, they’re doing really well,” he said.
Mr Barr said the compliance teams have a range of options available to them under public health directions and occupational health and safety laws to fine or temporarily close businesses.
“It’s a case-by-case assessment and the point I’ve made is that this is particularly focused at repeat offenders,” he said. “It can range from fines to short closure to longer-term closure.
“Where businesses are repeatedly failing, then we’ve got to take action.”
Mr Barr pointed to the example of a Civic restaurant that were found to have breached lockdown restrictions multiple times and were subsequently reprimanded.
“Police had to attend regularly,” he said, “there were significant fines issued and that business was shut for a short period of time.
“We have never had that culture of a heavy-handed police state in this jurisdiction, and I hope we never will.”
As it stands, all cafes, restaurants, food courts, and licensed venues are allowed to operate as takeaway and delivery only.
ACT non-essential small retailers are allowed to operate through click-and-collect and click-and-deliver services.
Businesses that had 20 or fewer fulltime equivalent employees as of 12 August 2021 are permitted no more than two people present on the premises at any one time.
Large retailers in hardware, pet supplies, office supplies and others deemed essential are also working under a click-and-collect or delivery model.
All other non-essential businesses that have been unable to operate in lockdown can now have up to two people enter their premises for emergency purposes, be that: maintenance work; accepting deliveries; and to conduct essential administrative tasks.
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