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Business owners must be allowed to decide if they'll serve customers who have not been COVID-19 vaccinated when Queensland's borders open, a peak business group says.
The state government has flagged a two-tiered approach to personal freedoms when Queensland fully reopens in December.
"We expect that there will be some settings and venues that decide to be vaccinated-only. And in return, they will have eased restrictions," Deputy Premier Steven Miles said.
"There are venues that you can go to now if you're unvaccinated that you won't be able to go to after December 17."
The government is yet to clarify how things will work but the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland says business owners must be able to make their own decisions about who they serve.
"They don't need ambiguous rules to follow, especially if it's not clear how it helps them or the wider economy's recovery," the chamber's policy manager Cherie Josephson said on Tuesday.
"If refusing entry to unvaccinated customers is the right thing to do for the business and the wider economy's COVID recovery, they need to be given resources to implement that change.
The Queensland Hotels Association says larger venues might see the value in locking out unvaccinated patrons in return for being able to operate at full capacity.
Chief executive Bernie Hogan wants more detail about the government's plans but says it wouldn't be much of a stretch to get licensed venues to check the vaccination status of patrons.
"We have been asking people for ID for decades. We have the ability to refuse service on virtually any grounds that would make other patrons unsafe," he told AAP.
"So this is not a huge change from the fights licensed venue holders already have. The only people I feel sorry for in this are the staff members who are abused."
Alex Johns is the co-owner of Solbar, a bar, restaurant and nightclub on the Sunshine Coast. His venue can hold 500 patrons but it's currently limited to 200.
He won't be asking staff to police the vaccination status of his patrons given the "fair torrent of abuse" they've copped over the past 18 months trying to enforce rules such as the mandatory face masks.
"To have them try and tell an anti-vaxxer person they are not to come into the venue ... I can't expect them to do that. That's not fair and it's not our job," he told reporters at a news conference with Opposition Leader David Crisafulli.
The LNP leader accused the government of heaping tasks onto business owners and expecting them to "bear all of the cost, all of the anger".
"It shouldn't be small and family business owners who have to turn themselves and their staff into COVID cops."
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said there would be more details soon but has flagged the rewards that might be possible for operators that declare themselves "vaccinated businesses".
"That might mean that all their staff are vaccinated, and all of their patrons or customers have to be fully vaccinated to enter the premises," she said.
"That might mean that they have no restrictions whatsoever ... they can operate 100 per cent, stand up, you know nightclubs, no masks."
Ms D'Ath said Queensland wasn't doing anything new, and NSW and Victoria already had directives about the operation of businesses in relation to the vaccination status of their clients.
But she acknowledged business owners were nervous about refusing access to unvaccinated people.
"We don't expect them to operate like police officers. They are not to take the law into their own hands and put the safety of their staff at risk."
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Penrith utility Tyrone May has been stood down indefinitely after receiving an NRL breach notice and a $7500 fine for a social media post during the Panthers' grand final celebrations.
Halfback Nathan Cleary and outside back Stephen Crichton have also been handed fines of $7000 and $4000 respectively after video emerged of them acting in a "disrespectful manner" towards the premiership trophy.
Damage was sustained to the trophy, while the figurine of Norm Provan and Arthur Summons had been separated and placed in a stroller in one video.
Penrith have stood down May as a consequence of a social media post which made reference to his convictions over four counts of intentionally recording an intimate image without consent.
May, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and narrowly avoided jail in January 2020.
The post included photos of Panthers coach Ivan Cleary arriving alongside him at court during the case.
It also included lyrics from the rap artist Drake which included the line: "And the dirt that they threw on my name turned to soil and I grew up out it. Time for y'all to figure out what y'all gon' do about it."
Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher said the club, which will be forced to foot the bill for the trophy repairs, apologised for the behaviour of Cleary and Crichton.
"The Panthers players had no intention to show disrespect towards the trophy, Norm Provan or Arthur Summons, however they understand that's how their actions may have been interpreted," he said in a statement.
"Everyone at Panthers is well aware of the immense contributions Norm and Arthur made to our game and the high esteem in which they are held by everyone involved in rugby league.
"On behalf of the club I sincerely apologise for any offence or distress this matter may have caused the rugby league community and particularly the Provan and Summons families."
All three players have five days to respond to the NRL's sanctions.
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The NSW government has announced a new $130 million package to counter the mental health impacts of the pandemic, as the state prepares for the second phase of its reopening.
Unveiling the suite of initiatives on Sunday, new Premier Dominic Perrottet said mental health was the "untold story of the pandemic".
Thousands across the state had suffered under restrictions that prevented them from visiting family and friends, or going to school or work, he said.
Self harm and eating disorders in NSW have been on the rise, and intervention is sorely needed, the premier said.
"We don't want anyone to slip through the cracks but ultimately that will only go so far," Mr Perrottet said of the funding.
"We (also) need to look after each other to get through this difficult time."
Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor said the funding will provide more appointments for psychology and psychiatry services throughout the state, address the sharp rise in eating disorders and self-harm presentations, and free up more mental health beds.
Masters students with be brought on board to help drive down wait lists for mental health support and meet demand.
It will also launch what the state government describes as the biggest suicide prevention training program ever undertaken.
"We're going to train up to 275,000 people to be able to go out there and have conversations about mental health," Ms Taylor said.
"That conversation that they have will then inspire other conversations, and then we have this growing web of support that exists within our communities."
It comes as parents and teachers prepare for the staged return of children to school on Monday.
Preschoolers and students in grades 1 and 12 will return to school on Monday, with the remainder to go back the week after.
The premier urged parents to have confidence in the state's plan to keep kids safe.
"We believe the measures we have in place means we can open classrooms safely ... It is incredibly important that we get kids back to school as soon as possible," he told reporters.
"We know it's great for them and for parents."
NSW added 301 new locally acquired infections to its COVID-19 caseload, and reported another 10 deaths,a day after reaching its second double-dose vaccination milestone.
Some 91.9 per cent of people aged 16 and over have now had one dose of a vaccine and 80 per cent both.
The benchmark triggers the further easing of restrictions from Monday, only a week after stay-at-home orders were lifted across the state.
Community sport can resume, dancing at hospitality venues is allowed again, and masks will no longer be required in offices.
What changes this week:
* Fully vaccinated people can have up to 20 people to their home and 50 people can gather outdoors
* There won't be any caps on hospitality venue bookings and patrons will be able to have a boogie - except at nightclubs, which will be allowed to open for the first time
* The 100-person cap for weddings and funerals will be removed, as will the five-person cap for beauticians and hairdressers
* Masks will no longer be required in office buildings.
All freedoms are limited to the fully vaccinated until December.
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Haircuts as well as a parma and pot are finally back on the menu for fully vaccinated Victorians.
The state's long-suffering citizens breathed a sigh of relief as Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Sunday the state will end its sixth lockdown five days earlier than planned.
The race to get vaccinated has cemented the state's early reopening from 11.59pm on Thursday, which will see the end of lockdown, restrictions on leaving home as well as the scrapping of the controversial 9pm curfew.
"I can't tell you how proud I am of our state. The resilience, the courage, the compassion and the conviction that Victorians have shown to get this job done is quite amazing," Mr Andrews told reporters on Sunday.
"Not only am I proud but I am deeply grateful. But there is still a little way to go."
Large-scale construction sites can also increase to 100 per cent capacity but only if all workers are fully vaccinated.
Those living in metropolitan Melbourne will still be banned from visiting regional Victoria and retail remains closed.
Under the state's roadmap, the city's current lockdown - which has run for 73 days - was due to end on October 26, the predicted date by when 70 per cent of those aged 16 and over would be doubled-dosed.
Restrictions will ease further when 80 per cent of the eligible population has received both vaccine doses, originally projected to be November 5.
Victoria announced 1838 new local COVID-19 cases and seven deaths on Sunday.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said a third of those cases were from southeast Melbourne, with the City of Casey recording 251 new infections.
"Vaccination rates are increasing significantly there (City of Casey) but from a low base, that is why that vulnerability is reflected in the numbers," he said.
Mr Andrews said it was important to note 90 per cent of those in hospital, and 97 per cent in intensive care, were not fully vaccinated.
"They are not numbers, they are people that are very, very unwell. Some of whom are gravely unwell, gasping for air," he said.
"They are not vaccinated, not fully vaccinated, almost all of them.
"So there is every reason to get vaccinated like so many Victorians already have."
While the news was music to the ears of many Victorians, it was not so well received by some in the entertainment industry.
Simon Thewlis, from industry group Save Victorian Events, said Sunday's announcement had nothing for most of the state's entertainment industry.
"In a couple of weeks 10,000 people will be allowed at some race meetings, but we still don't know when we can get more than 150 people at most indoor events or 500 people at most outdoor events," he said.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy applauded the government for making some changes, but said more needed to be done.
"It's important and positive that the government is starting to move, but we can do more," Mr Guy said.
Roadmap out of lockdown from 22 October for metropolitan Melbourne:
* Reasons to leave home and curfew no longer in place
* 10 people including dependants can visit a home each day
* 15 people can gather outdoors
* Pubs, clubs and entertainment venues can open to 20 fully vaccinated people indoors and 50 fully vaccinated people outdoors
* Funerals and weddings allowed for 20 fully vaccinated indoors and 50 fully vaccinated outdoors
* All students to return to school at least part time
* Hairdressing and beauty salons to open for up to five fully vaccinated people at a time.
© AAP 2021
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