State governments have announced the easing of COVID-19 restrictions through a three-phase plan, including the reopening of schools and limited re-entry to pubs, cafes and restaurants. But, what does this mean for weddings?
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Here is the wedding legislation breakdown, by state:
New South Wales
- Weddings and events are limited to a maximum of 150 people, subject to the 4 square metre rule
- Up to 20 people in the official wedding party are permitted on the dance floor. There cannot be rotation of people on the dance floor beyond the official wedding party.
- “High-risk activities” such as choirs and dancing are banned
- Places of worship are permitted a maximum of 100 people, subject to the 4 square metre rule.
- All of the above events must be registered as a COVID-Safe business.
- Gatherings are limited to 20 people in the home and public places, however it is recommended that home visitors are capped at 10 people “as a general principle”.
- Solo singing/Wind Instruments – 3m distance from guests to performers.
- No more than 10 people per table.
- People attending Weddings are required to provide their name and contact details to be used for contact tracing.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian insisted that wedding guests should always be seated and there should be “no dancing, no singing, no mingling”.
Source https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
Victoria
- Weddings are limited to ten people including the two witnesses. The couple, celebrant and photographer are not included in the ten-person cap.
- A wedding or funeral held in a private residence will be limited to the members of the household and up to two visitors, plus the people required to conduct the ceremony.
- Outdoor religious gatherings can be held near a place of worship with up to 50 people plus a faith leader.
- Indoor religious gatherings can be held with up to 10 people per group (plus a faith leader), and up to 20 people per facility. Groups must be in separate indoor spaces, at least 5 metres apart.
- Indoor religious gatherings have a maximum service length of 90 minutes, with a recommendation for 30 minutes in between services to ensure that groups do not congregate in front of and around places of worship
- A venue can only have one religious gathering at a time, whether indoor or outdoor and ceremonial participants other than faith leaders are included in the capacity limits.
- You must wear a face covering when leaving your home.
Source https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/
Queensland
- Wedding ceremonies can have a maximum of 100 people regardless of the size of the venue.
- Wedding services performed at a person’s residence or in a public space can have a maximum of 30 people attend, including the couple, if there is no COVID Safe Plan in place.
- Wedding receptions and ceremonies held at a person’s residence or public space may have more people attend – if a business is engaged to manage the event and is operating under an approved COVID Safe Plan.
- Places of worship can have one person per 4 square metres. If the place of worship is less than 200 square metres, then the venue can have one person per 2 square metres, up to a total of 50 people at either private or public services.
Source https://www.qld.gov.au/
Western Australia
You can have a wedding of up to 100 people.
Gatherings are limited WA’s reduced 2 square metre rule
All events permitted except for music festivals.
South Australia
All other gatherings including weddings are restricted to a cap of 150 people and dancing is now permitted.
The total number of people at a place must not exceed 1 person per 2 square metres.
Gatherings at private residences may have up to 50 people per gathering.
Source https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/
Tasmania
The number of guests at a wedding is determined by the size of the venue in line with the current limits that apply to all venues. There is a maximum of one person per two square metres with a cap of 250 for indoor venues and 500 for outdoor venues.
Dancing will be able to occur but must be in a different area to that which food and beverages are served. Only the wedding couple, the parents or guardians of the wedding couple and the other members of the bridal party are permitted to dance at a wedding.
Only 20 people are permitted to gather at a residential premise
Source https://coronavirus.tas.gov.au/
Northern Territory
Events with less than 100 people do not require completion of a checklist or safety plan, however the physical distancing and hygiene principles should still be considered and implemented.
Events and public gatherings of 100 to 500 people must complete a COVID-19 safety checklist PDF (243.4 KB).
- Complete this checklist prior to the commencement of the event to demonstrate commitment to the key principles.
- There are guidelines for events and gatherings that can help you prepare for your checklist.
- You will receive a statement of commitment shortly after completing the checklist.
- No further approvals are required and the event can proceed as planned.
Environmental Health Officers may visit the event to ensure you are meeting the requirements you committed to in the checklist.
More than 500 people
Major events and public gatherings of over 500 people must submit a COVID-19 Event Safety Plan PDF (243.4 KB) and receive formal approval from the Chief Health Officer prior to the event proceeding.
- Read the guidelines for events and gatherings for information on what your COVID-19 Event Safety Plan should include.
- Complete the COVID-19 Event Safety Plan PDF (243.4 KB) form.
- A case manager will assess your COVID-19 Event Safety Plan. You may be required to edit the plan or provide further detail.
- Your plan will be submitted to the Chief Health Officer or authorised delegate for approval.
- If your plan is approved, you will receive a formal letter of approval and the event can proceed as planned.
Environmental Health Officers may visit the event to ensure you are meeting your responsibilities as outlined in your COVID-19 Event Safety Plan.
Provide key event details including (but not limited to):
- Organising body, contact name and position, phone and email
- Event title/s, event venue/s and location, time/s, date/s (including ‘side’ events)
- Event target group/s and expected number of attendees
- Whether the event is likely to be attended by 500 or more people
- Specify whether the event is indoor/outdoor/mixed.
Australian Capital Territory
Indoor and outdoor spaces must be large enough to allow for one person for every 4 square metres of space, up to a maximum of 100 patrons. For example, only up to five people can gather in a 20 square metre room.
Wedding parties and their guests are permitted to dance.
If you choose to use open public spaces, it is your responsibility to maintain physical distancing measures.
Use your judgement and leave a site or event if it is too crowded and the distancing requirements cannot be followed.
Do not attend an event or gathering if you are feeling unwell.
Some people are at more risk of serious illness from COVID-19 than others and should take extra precautions to stay safe.
The Protect yourself page has more information about staying safe if you are at risk.
Source https://www.covid19.act.gov.au/
Last updated: 8th September, 2020
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