There has been much confusion in regional centres about which businesses must be part of the screening and contact detail requirements.
Put simply, every non-essential retail business must check photo identification and record the name, phone number and postcode of residence of every customer who enters their shop.
If a business is closed in Melbourne, then it is also closed to Melbourne people who come into regional Victoria.
If a customer refuses to produce photo ID on request; you can ask them to fill out a “declaration for accessing regional business” (see link below) – the onus is on the store owner/manager to ensure this is done.
If a customer then refuses to fill out the declaration, you must not serve them and must ask them to leave your store immediately.
Unfortunately; this information is unclear on the DHHS website; but I have had this clarified through the relevant departments.
The following quotes are from a Victorian government media release:
“To date, businesses that are currently closed in Melbourne but are open in regional Victoria have been asked to check the addresses of their customers when taking bookings.
“From midnight tonight, this requirement will be made even stronger, with businesses who consciously fail to check their customers are not from metropolitan Melbourne facing fines of up to $9913.
“Regional businesses who do the right thing but are misled by someone intent on breaking the rules will not be fined under the changes. Instead, individuals found deliberately ignoring the restrictions will risk a fine of $1652. Melbournians who are found in regional Victoria without a valid reason face fines of up to $4957.”
Read the full release at: premier.vic.gov.au/extra-testing-requirements-we-move-covid-normal
