COVID Update: SafeWA & Mandatory Contact Register

From Saturday, 5 December, particular WA businesses and venues will be required to maintain a mandatory contact register for staff and patrons.

The reintroduction of contact registers is an additional protection measure and will assist with WA Department of Health contact tracing, should it be required.

Businesses or venues required to keep a contact register, include:

• Food and licenced venues (restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, taverns, nightclubs)
• Gyms, indoor sporting centres and pools
• Places of worship and funeral parlours
• Beauty and personal care services including hairdressers and barbers
• Galleries and museums
• Cinemas, theatres and other entertainment venues
• Auction houses and real estate inspections
• Community facilities, libraries and halls
• Zoos and amusement parks
• Function centres
• Accommodation facilities that already have check-in arrangements in place (i.e. hostels, hotels, large camp grounds)

Designated businesses and venues will be required to collect the date, name, telephone number and arrival time of all patrons, staff, visitors and contractors that attend the premises, other than to collect takeaway.

The contact register records must be kept for 28 days, and not used for any other purpose.

To assist businesses and venues, the WA Government has developed the free, SafeWA app, an online contact register system that uses QR Codes for patrons and staff to scan to register their attendance.

SafeWA can be downloaded from Apple App Store or Google Play from today. This will allow businesses and venues, which choose to use the SafeWA app, time to implement it for Saturday, 5 December 2020.

The app is being provided as a free, easy, contactless solution, however the use of Safe WA is not mandatory.

Alternative formats for mandatory contact registers are available, including other electronic tools or a paper-based system, depending on what is suitable for the business, venue or individual.

Businesses must still maintain a written contact register for people who choose not to use the app.

Failing to comply with the new requirements to maintain a contact register could result in fines and penalties of up to $50,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a body corporate or 12 months’ imprisonment.

For more information see the Maintaining contact registers, a requirement to keep WA safe media statement.