The New South Wales government has released a COVID-19 checklist for cafes and restaurants as restrictions continue to relax. From 1 June, 50 customers are allowed to dine in at a venue. However physical distancing must still be followed.
Points covered in the checklist include staff and customer well-being, physical distancing, hygiene and cleaning and record keeping. Under Public Health Orders, venues must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place when they reopen.
Download the COVID-19 Safety Plan: restaurants and cafes.
Below is the full Checklist:
Well-being of staff and customers
- Exclude staff and customers who are unwell from the premises.
- Provide staff with information and training on COVID-19, including when to get tested, physical distancing and cleaning.
- Make staff aware of their leave entitlements if they are sick or required to self-isolate.
- Display conditions of entry (website, social media, venue entry).
Physical distancing
- Capacity must not exceed 50 customers per separate existing seated food or drink area; or one customer per 4 square metres of space on the premises, whichever is the lesser.
- Weddings are permitted to book for a maximum of 20 guests (excluding the couple, the persons involved in conducting the service and the photographer and the videographer). Funerals and memorial services are permitted to book for a maximum of 50 mourners (excluding the persons involved in conducting the service).
- No more than 10 customers at a table (except for gatherings immediately after a wedding, funeral or memorial service).
- Consider a time-based booking system, with phone or online options, to limit the number of people entering the premises or waiting outside.
- Reduce contact between customer groups.
- Move or remove tables and seating to support 1.5 metres of physical distance.
- Reduce crowding and promote physical distancing with markers on the floor.
- Where possible, ensure staff maintain 1.5 metres physical distancing and assign workers to specific work stations.
- Alcohol can only be consumed by seated customers.
- Where reasonably practical, stagger start times and breaks for staff members.
- Consider physical barriers such as plexiglass around counters with high volume interactions with customers.
- Review regular deliveries and request contactless delivery/ invoicing where practical.
- Introduce strategies to manage gatherings that may occur outside the premises.
- Avoid group singing and wind instruments (such as flute, oboe or clarinet). Solo singers should maintain at least 3 metres physical distance from other people.
Hygiene and cleaning
- Adopt good hand hygiene practise and ensure hand hygiene facilities are available to customers and staff.
- Ensure bathrooms are well stocked with hand soap and paper towels.
- Reduce the number of surfaces touched by customers.
- No self-serve buffet style food service areas, communal bar snacks, communal condiments, or hookahs allowed.
- Clean cutlery and tableware with detergent, or with a commercial grade dishwasher if available.
- Menus must be laminated (clean between use), displayed or be single use. Place takeaway menus outside the venue.
- Clean frequently used areas at least daily with detergent or disinfectant. Clean frequently touched areas and surfaces several times per day.
- Maintain disinfectant solutions at an appropriate strength and use in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions.
- Staff are to wear gloves when cleaning and wash hands thoroughly before and after with soap and water.
- Encourage contactless payment options.
Recording keeping
- Keep name and mobile number or email address for all staff, dine-in customers and contractors for a period of at least 28 days. Records are only to be used for tracing COVID-19 infections and must be stored confidentially and securely.
- Employers should make staff aware of the COVIDSafe app and the benefits of the app to support contact tracing if required.
For any further information, please visit www.nsw.gov.au
