Last last night, Premier Mark McGowan announced that Perth and Peel will enter a minimum 4-day lockdown from 12.01am, Tuesday 29 June 2021 until 12.01am, Saturday 3 July, 2021.
All residents in those areas need to stay at home unless it is for essential work, providing healthcare for a vulnerable person, essential shopping or to exercise in your local neighbourhood.
Is retail trade restricted during lockdown?
YES.
Retail food services including pubs, restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets are not permitted to trade except to offer takeaway or home delivery services. Food courts will close however, retail food services operating within a food court can offer take away or home delivery services. Cinemas, entertainment venues and casinos, and beauty therapy services including hairdressers, nail salons, and massage parlours, are also not permitted to open.
Despite this, employees living within the restricted area are not permitted to leave their homes unless it is to perform work as an employee of an “essential provider”. This includes:
- Supermarket, grocery, butcher, fruit and vegetable store or fishmonger
- Restaurant, pub, bar or café for takeaway or delivery only
- Indoor or outdoor market, but only to obtain groceries or fresh food and not to obtain food and beverages prepared on site
- Bottle shop
- Financial institution
- Consular and diplomatic services
- Court, tribunal or commission services
- Post office
- Newsagent
- Pharmacy
- Hardware store
- Petrol station
- Vehicle and mechanical repair services
- Pet store or veterinary clinic
- Retail for the purposes of fulfilling click-and-collect or click-and-deliver orders
Notably, this does not include retailers selling primarily fashion items and accessories, furniture, electronics, or white goods; as such, these business and affiliated businesses (such as distribution centres) will likely be required to order their employees to stay home. Click and collect or delivery is permitted for non-essential retail.
All businesses that decide to remain open (including in a limited capacity) must comply with strict requirements with respect to:
- social distancing;
- following the applicable COVID Safety Guidelines for your industry;
- recording the details of customers and workers who attend the workplace; and
- cleaning.
View the full list of essential workers HERE.
Who is required to wear a mask?
In the affected regions face masks must be worn indoors, outdoors and on public transport, if social distancing cannot be observed.
Specifically, face masks must be worn in the following settings
- shopping (retail, supermarkets and shopping centres)
- on public/shared transport and waiting areas for public/shared transport
- weddings and funerals
- while waiting for takeaway food
- at workplaces.
Children 12 years and under and people affected by a medical condition are exempt.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind all members that while you must take reasonable steps to advise customers to wear a mask in your store (ie signage, staff on entrance) it is not the responsibility of retailers to enforce these rules. Should a customer refuse this lawful direction, please refer the matter to security or police.