[UPDATE] Thursday, 9th of December: In positive news for New South Wales small businesses, regulations requiring landlords to provide rent relief to COVID-impacted small business tenants have been extended until the 13th of January, 2022. Smaller landlords can also apply for grants up to the value of the rent relief provided.
[UPDATE] Wednesday, 8th December: Despite rattled nerves caused by Omicron, Queensland Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk has announced Queensland will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated interstate travellers from hotspots 1am Monday, December 13th. This is four days earlier than the original date December 17th. Travellers will need a negative COVID test within 72 hours before arrival, while unvaccinated travellers will need to arrive by air and quarantine for 14 days. The move was motivated by a desire to reunite families before Christmas and allow visitors to enjoy holidays with family and friends. It will be a positive development for the Queensland professional services industry which has suffered from an absence of interstate holidays makers.
[UPDATE] Monday, 29th November Unease around the arrival of the Omicron COVID-19 variant has prompted Australia to tighten its border restrictions. So far, two cases have been confirmed in Australia and are currently in quarantine. Currently, there are no plans to increase restrictions outside of quarantine. Non-citizen arrivals from nine southern African countries have been barred entry. Australian citizens who have spent time in these countries in the past two weeks will be required to isolate for 14 days. General overseas arrivals will be required to isolate for 72 hours entering NSW and Victoria. The NSW Government hopes to prevent harsher measures with the tightening of the borders.
We will be updating any additional changes – including any delays on changes to QR Codes, mask-wearing and vaccination requirements as the situation evolves.
[UPDATE] Thursday, 25 November: The NSW Government has announced that once the state hits 95% double dose vaccination changes will be made to current restrictions – including mask-wearing and the use of QR Codes. Masks will only be required on public transport, planes and at airports. It will also be required for indoor hospitality staff who are not vaccinated and will be returning to work on December 1st. QR Codes will remain in use in “high risk” settings. These include:
- Beauty salons
- Gyms
- Aged and disability care facilities and hospitals
- Small bars, nightclubs and indoor music festivals
The easing of these restrictions is part of a plan to encourage residents of NSW to “enjoy the summer providing a boost for some of our hardest [hit] industries” according to Premier Dominic Perrottet.
Proof of vaccination will not be required for most activities – but businesses can still request proof if they decide to.
[UPDATE] In a revision of the NSW Reopening Roadmap, restrictions on vaccinated individuals have been extended by two weeks. Originally, unvaccinated individuals would have freedom of movement from December 1st, this date has now been revised to December 15th. The decision was made so that density limits could be drastically reduced in pubs, cafes and larger beauty businesses or retail locations. Density limits have been revised from one person per four square metres to one person per two square metres. If you have specific questions or concerns regarding changes to the NSW Reopening Roadmap contact info@professionalbeauty.com.au and we will investigate.
[UPDATE] Saturday, October 30th: Victoria has hit 80% with caps removed on beauty services for unvaccinated individuals.
[UPDATE] Thursday 21st 11:59pm: Victoria exits lockdown. Five fully vaccinated patrons can receive personal care services at a given time. For advice on keeping your reopening running smoothly, from signage to mask-wearing and enforcing COVID-19 regulations visit our advice column here if you’re concerned about scaling your business when Victoria hits 80%, you can consult our Salon Reopening Roadmap here.
[UPDATE] Tasmania has exited its three-day snap lockdown, with a mask mandate in place until 6pm Friday 22nd of October. Masks may be removed to perform services that require access to the lower portion of the face – so facials are on for Tasmanian beauty salons!
[UPDATE] NSW has reached 80% double dose vaccination as of Saturday 16th of October. The reopening roadmap has been tweaked due to uneven vaccination rates. Regional travel will still be restricted as vaccination rates lag in some communities. This means if your beauty business operates in a regional area, you won’t benefit from travel from the city just yet (but stay tuned). Beauty services outside of the regions may now operate at full capacity for the fully vaccinated, read our tips on scaling up services as restrictions change here.
[UPDATE] Sunday, October 17th: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced Melbourne will emerge from lockdown almost a week earlier than expected, opening October 21st instead of October 26th. This is due to the 70% double dose target being reached earlier than expected. Beauty services will be open for up to 5 fully vaccinated clients. Once the 80% target is hit, as in NSW, beauty services will operate at full capacity for the fully vaccinated. There have been some tweaks to the road map – 10 people can visit homes for gatherings, and 20 can congregate outdoors. All school students will return to onsite learning.
[UPDATE] As of Friday 15th of October, ACT has emerged from lockdown, but restrictions on beauty businesses are still in place. If you are a beauty operator in the ACT you are able to host five clients at a time so long as you are complying with the one person per four square metre rule.
[UDPATE] It’s Tuesday 5 October and NSW LGA of Gunnedah is now in a week-long lockdown following local transmission of the COVID-19 virus, with stay-at-home orders applying to anyone who has been in the LGA since September 27.. This means that any salon businesses in the LGA will need to close for the duration of the lockdown.
According to the ABC, “On the NSW Mid North Coast, lockdown orders have been imposed in Taree, Forster and Tuncurry until October 11, including anyone who has visited the areas since September 27.
Lismore LGA has also been locked down for the same period due to an increased COVID-19 public health risk.” Cowra LGA is now out of lockdown and Port Macquarie LGA exits lockdown at 11:59pm tonight.
Meanwhile in South Australia the LGAs of Mount Gambier City, the District Council of Grant and Wattle Range Council area are under level three restrictions effective immediately due to local cases. According to the South Australia government website this means the 1 person per 4sq metre rule is back in effect and masks must be worn in personal care service settings, although the site does not specify if they can be removed by clients for facial treatments on the bottom half of the face.
In Victoria there should be news soon regarding whether Latrobe will remain in lockdown. Metro Melbourne, Shepparton, Moorabool and Mitchell also remain in lockdown although certain restrictions have eased since the state hit its 80% first vaccine-administered target.
In positive news, as of Sunday 3 October, 92.6% of Canberrans age 12 and over had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, with the ACT set to come out of lockdown on 15 October, four days after fully vaccinated residents of NSW come out of lockdown.
Tasmania will hold a press conference today after, according to the ABC, “a COVID-positive teenager went to a Launceston supermarket while infectious on Sunday afternoon, breaching home quarantine requirements.”
[UPDATE] It’s Thursday 30 September 2021 and Queensland is re-introducing new restrictions, but not a full-blown lockdown, in the Brisbane, Logan, Gold Coast, Townsville, Moreton Bay and Palm Island LGAs in the southeast of the state for two weeks from 4pm today. If the restrictions don’t succeed in slowing the current COVID-19 outbreak a lockdown looks likely.
In the meantime, here is what that means for the beauty industry. Staff and clients must always wear masks indoors at salons and clinics, unless it needs to be removed for the duration of a treatment.
Social distancing rules are in place that require you to have only 1 person per 4 square metres and 1 person per 2 square metres in venues of smaller than 200m2.
In NSW, residents in the Snowy Monaro LGA will be placed into a snap lockdown from 3pm today for a week.
Stay-at-home orders are extended until October 11 in Bathurst, Bourke, Central Coast, Cessnock, City of Broken Hill, Dubbo, Eurobodalla, Goulburn Mulwaree, Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Lithgow, Maitland, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, and Wingecarribee. Menindee has had another week added to their lockdown and Wilcannia remains in lockdown until 11 October.
[UPDATE] It’s Wednesday 29 September 2021 and the Victorian city of Latrobe and Regional NSW areas of Port Macquarie-Hastings and Muswellbrook are all now in a 7-day snap lockdown from 28 September through 5 October, which means beauty services in those areas must close for the week.
From 1am AEST 29 September 2021 spectators attending stadium events at major and smaller venues in Queensland must wear a mask at all times, even while they are seated, except for when eating or, or if they have a permitted reason not to. Additional face mask restrictions are now in place for Brisbane and Moreton Bay. Anyone who has been anywhere in the Brisbane and Moreton Bay Local Government Areas must follow these face mask requirements. Beauty services are still happening as no areas in Queensland have been placed in lockdown following the new local cases.
In some areas of Regional Victoria, facials and beard trimming are back and masks can now be removed for services that require it.
[UPDATE] It’s Wednesday 22 September 2021 and Melbourne suffered a magnitude-5.8 earthquake this morning which was felt as far afield as Canberra, Sydney and Launceston, with hundreds of aftershocks expected. Several businesses were damaged but as of yet there are no human casualties. Stay tuned for news about disaster support and relief for small businesses.
With regards to lockdown in New South Wales, The Guardian reports that “Gladys Berejiklian… has announced that a curfew in the 12 greater Sydney hotspots has lifted as the state hit the 80% single dose vaccination milestone. She announced on 19 September that from Monday 20 September restrictions would be “equalised” across all of Sydney including the western suburbs previously under a harsher lockdown.”
The ABC reports that from 5:00pm last night, Byron Bay, Tweed Heads and Kempsey Local Government Areas have all gone into lockdown for an initial seven days to be extended if needed. Stay-at-home orders will also apply from 5:00pm tonight to anyone who has been in the Kempsey LGA since 14 September and the Byron LGA and Tweed LGAs since September 18. “A person from Sydney who had authority to be in northern NSW has tested positive to COVID. The person arrived in Ballina on Saturday morning at 8.45am on Virgin flight 1141. Health authorities said the person was infectious over the weekend and on Monday in the Byron, Ballina and Tweed areas,” confirms The ABC.
Greater Geelong, the Surf Coast and Mitchell Shire in Victoria have been in a snap seven-day lockdown since 11.59pm Sunday 19 September, where restrictions for the three council areas will be the the same as Melbourne and Ballarat, except the 9pm curfew, with only six reasons to leave home.
The Guardian reports that in regional Victoria (excluding Ballarat, greater Geelong, the Surf Coast and Mitchell Shire), gyms and outdoor and indoor pools can now reopen excluding spas, saunas and steam rooms, with density limits in place.
The Queensland Government site reports that “requirements for wearing a mask will continue in South East Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset and Sunshine Coast local government areas) until 4pm, Friday 24 September 2021. All other business restrictions are now consistent across Queensland. Learn about current business restrictions in Queensland.”
[UPDATE] It’s Thursday 16 September 2021 and several Regional NSW are newly out of lockdown TODAY and beauty and personal services will be allowed to resume there again.
Stay-at-home orders will be lifted for Bega, Blayney, Bogan, Cabonne, Dungog, Forbes, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Parkes, Singleton, Snowy Monaro and Upper Hunter Local Government Areas (LGAs) from 1pm today (Thursday 16 September).
Stay-at-home orders will unfortunately be introduced for the Albury and Lismore LGAs from 6pm today (Thursday) for one week, due to an increased COVID-19 public health risk.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the 12 LGAs which are coming out of lockdown have been deemed low risk and have not recorded any COVID-19 cases for the past 14 days, but will continue to operate under some restrictions to ensure community safety.
“I encourage everyone in those 12 LGAs which are coming out of lockdown to enjoy their freedoms in a responsible and COVIDSafe way and I urge everyone to get vaccinated as soon as you can, so you can continue to enjoy freedoms when NSW reaches the 70 per cent double dose target,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Unfortunately stay-at-home orders will apply to all people who live in the Albury and Lismore LGAs based on updated health advice.
“I know residents in these areas just had stay-at-home orders lifted and having to go back into lockdown is beyond frustrating, but this action is necessary due to positive COVID cases.
“Everyone in the Albury and Lismore LGAs must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason, which includes shopping for food, medical care, getting vaccinated, compassionate needs, exercise and work or tertiary education if you can’t work or study at home.”
Albury and Lismore residents who are fully vaccinated can attend an outdoor gathering of up to five people for exercise or outdoor recreation so long as all of those gathering are aged 16 or older and are fully vaccinated.
Beauty services in regional LGAs where stay-at-home orders have been lifted can recommence with one person per 4sqm capped at five clients per premises, with mask mandates in place except for during treatments where they are required to be removed.
[UPDATE] It’s Tuesday 14 September 2021 and, according to the ABC, it’s just been announced that the ACT’s lockdown will be extended until 15 October 2021, which means beauty services in the ACT will remain closed until then.
Yass in Regional NSW has also gone back into lockdown for two weeks just days after coming out of it.
[UPDATE] It’s Monday 13 September 2021 and several areas of Regional NSW have come out of lockdown, although COVIDsafe restrictions remain in place. Find the list of locations out of lockdown here.
NSW Health says “Parts of regional NSW currently deemed low risk and which have seen zero COVID cases for at least 14 days [have emerged] from lockdown… but will continue to operate under restrictions to ensure the safety of regional communities.
Local Government Areas (LGAs) still seeing COVID case numbers will continue to follow stay-at-home orders and will be monitored by NSW Health with updates provided as circumstances develop.”
Venues including hospitality, retail stores and gyms:
- Hospitality venues can reopen subject to one person per 4sqm inside and one person per 2sqm outside, with standing while drinking permitted outside.
- Retail stores can reopen under the one person per 4sqm rule.
- Personal services such as hairdressers and nail salons can open with one person per 4sqm, capped at five clients per premises.
- Gyms and indoor recreation facilities can open under the one person per 4sqm rule and can offer classes for up to 20 people.
- Sporting facilities including swimming pools can reopen.
Masks:
- Masks will remain mandatory for all indoor public venues, including public transport, front-of-house hospitality, retail and business premises, on planes and at airports.
- Only hospitality staff will be required to wear a mask when outdoors.
- Children aged under 12 will not need to wear a mask indoors.
Everyone must have a COVIDsafe plan in place and Services NSW QR check-in is required.
According to HealthDirect, the Australian Capital Territory is in lockdown until 11:59pm Friday 17 September 2021. For more information on the lockdown, visit ‘Lockdowns and outbreaks – Australian Capital Territory’ on the healthdirect Restriction Checker.
Healthdirect says “Hairdressers, salons and personal services can open with a density limit of 1 person per 2 square metres.
If you live in one of the 11 local government areas in South-East Queensland — Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim — or have been there in the last 14 days, face mask rules remain in place. You must continue to carry a mask with you at all times and wear a mask in indoor and outdoor spaces.
People in other parts of Queensland are encouraged to carry and wear a mask when physical distancing is not possible.”
Greater Melbourne is still in lockdown, with a curfew in Metropolitan Melbourne, until advised otherwise, although Regional Victoria (excluding Shepparton) is now out of lockdown and personal services may trade with current restrictions in place. In Regional Melbourne, “Hairdressing, beauty and personal-care services can reopen — with up to 10 people on the premises. Masks must stay on for the duration of the service, where possible,” says Healthdirect.
In South Australia you must wear a mask unless it is required to be removed for a personal care service and the 1 person per 2 square metres-rule applies as the state is in Level 2 restrictions.
Personal care services are generally allowed as normal in other states, with social distancing rules and check-in/contact tracing processes in place.
Keep up to date on your local lockdown and restriction news with Healthdirect here.
[UPDATE] NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced that she will not commit to an October 18th open date, despite reports. She says the date could come before or after and the government will wait on the 70% double dose vaccination. She has noted that “..at any stage, if there’s a concentration of disease in any suburb or local government area or a constant outbreak that wasn’t anticipated, the health department can restrict movement and give advice.” She says these evaluations will be made as potential pressures on the healthcare system are assessed.
[UPDATE] Following a meeting of the crisis cabinet, the NSW Government is set to end the state-wide lockdown once 70% vaccination is reached on October 18th. The Guardian reports that if the 70% target is hit earlier, the open date may be moved forward.
So far, reports indicate personal services will proceed under three conditions:
- Staff have received a double dose of vaccine
- Clients have received a double dose of vaccine
- Adequate COVID-19 safety plans are in place across businesses
We will be bringing more news as it unfolds, throughout the day. Stay tuned.
[UPDATE] It’s Friday 3 September 2021 and Victoria is remains in lockdown until 23 September 2021 (possibly earlier for regional Victoria) when 70% of the eligible population are anticipated to have at least one does of a COVID-19 vaccine. Victorian playgrounds are re-open although the nightly curfew is still in place in Greater Melbourne. The ACT remains in lockdown until 17 September 2021 and NSW is in lockdown until at least the end of October as active COVID-19 cases hit their highest number in the pandemic today with 12 new deaths.
According to HealthDirect, the Australian Capital Territory is in lockdown until 11:59pm Friday 17 September 2021. For more information on the lockdown, visit ‘Lockdowns and outbreaks – Australian Capital Territory’ on the healthdirect Restriction Checker.
Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong, is in lockdown until at least the end of September 2021.
Regional NSW is in lockdown until at least 11:59pm Friday 10 September 2021.
For more information on the lockdown, visit ‘Lockdowns and outbreaks – New South Wales’ on the healthdirect Restriction Checker.
Victoria is in lockdown. The lockdown’s end date is subject to public health advice.
A curfew is in place from 9pm to 5am each day in Metropolitan Melbourne.
For more information on the lockdown, visit ‘Lockdowns and outbreaks – Victoria’ on the healthdirect Restriction Checker.
In Queensland hairdressers, salons and personal services can open with a density limit of 1 person per 2 square metres.
If you live in one of the 11 local government areas in South-East Queensland — Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim — or have been there in the last 14 days, face mask rules remain in place. You must continue to carry a mask with you at all times and wear a mask in indoor and outdoor spaces.
People in other parts of Queensland are encouraged to carry and wear a mask when physical distancing is not possible.
See ‘Face masks — Queensland‘ in the Restriction Checker for more details.
Restricted businesses must also comply with a COVID Safe checklist.
South Australia is under Level 2 restrictions. Personal-care services — such as hairdressing salons, day spas, tattoo parlours and nail salons — can reopen.
A density limit of 1 person per 2 square metres applies.
Anyone providing or receiving these services must wear a mask — unless the mask gets in the way of the treatment or service.
You must wear a mask when in indoor public places and other settings in South Australia. For more on this, see Gatherings and work – South Australia.
In Western Australia, Perth and Peel are no longer subject to post-lockdown restrictions. Both regions are now under the same restrictions as the rest of Western Australia.
All hair, beauty and massage services can operate. These include:
- hairdressers and barbers
- beauty and nail salons
- tanning and waxing salons
- massage parlours
- saunas, spas and bath houses
- wellness and float centres
- tattoo and piercing services
There are no capacity limits but staff should stay 1.5 metres from clients where possible. Practise good hygiene.
All businesses must keep their COVID Safety Plans in place and continue to maintain contact registers and use the SafeWA app.
For information on restrictions in Western Australia, visit wa.gov.au. You can also call 13 COVID (13 26843). If you’re interstate, call 1800 595 206. If you’re overseas, call +61 8 9118 3100.
Tasmania and the Northern Territory have no new updates.
[UPDATE] It’s Friday 20 August 2021 and it was just announced that Greater Sydney’s lockdown will be extended until the end of September. Everyone in NSW will be required to wear a mask whenever they leave their homes (except for exercise) starting at 12:01am this coming Monday 23 August. The mask mandate will be in place in Greater Sydney until the end of the extended lockdown.
A 9pm to 5am curfew will also be introduced to those same 12 LGAs, which are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith and Strathfield.
The Central Coast and Shellharbour have now been designated regional NSW for lockdown purposes and, for now, are not included in Greater Sydney’s lockdown measures.
The second week of the ACT’s snap lockdown is about to begin with nearly a dozen new cases detected and Melbourne’s lockdown continues with more than 50 new cases detected, all but two community transmission.
Katherine, NT has exited lockdown with no new reported cases.
[UPDATE] It’s Monday 16 August 2021 and the entire state of NSW went into lockdown at 5pm on 14 August 2021. And from noon today, Greater Darwin and Katherine in the Northern Territory is in a snap three-day lockdown. Melbourne’s lockdown has been extended by two weeks as well and a curfew will be reimposed, according to the AAP.
The NSW lockdown is currently scheduled to last seven days as the state’s health system is overloaded with several hundred hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients and nearly three dozen intubated. Nearly 12,000 people have become sick with COVID-19 since the outbreak started via an unvaccinated limo driver who caught the Delta variant and unwittingly spread it after driving international flight crew in his vehicle in June, just two months ago.
17 of the currently intubated patients are aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
The ACT has extended its lockdown through 5pm on 2 September, and Queensland has tightened its border with NSW after reporting no new COVID-19 cases for two days straight.
More information:
- The federal government’s COVID-19 information
- Federal government list of current small business support in each state
- Healthdirect’s breakdown of restrictions and rules by state and territory
[UPDATE] It’s Thursday 12 August 2021 and ACT is going into a snap week-long lockdown from 5pm tonight after a local man tested positive for COVID-19 with no known source yet.
Find more information on the ACT government site here.
Find all of the lockdown-related small-business funding information currently available here, at relevant government websites and industry bodies like HABA and the ABIC.
[UPDATE] It’s Wednesday, 11 August 2021 and the news today is that Melbourne’s lockdown has been extended by a week with 20 new cases detected today. There will be an announcement as early as tomorrow announcing additional support for local business closed or affected by the current lockdowns.
Dubbo has also gone into a snap lockdown until 12:01am on 19 August after two local cases were detected with an unknown source of origin.
[UPDATE] It’s Monday, 9 August 2021 and Regional Victoria’s lockdown ends at midnight tonight, although restrictions will remain in place, including both indoor and outdoor mask mandates (the ABC).
Byron Bay, Richmond Valley, Ballina and Lismore are now in lockdown until 12:01am on 17 August after a COVID-positive man travelled there from Sydney and circulated in the community, according to the ABC. The lockdown affects anyone who has been in this area since 31 July. Lockdown rules are the same as greater Sydney.
Cairns and Yarrabah LGAs in Queensland have also been placed in a snap 3-day lockdown until 4pm Wednesday 11 August (more info here).
Tamworth has gone into lockdown for one week from 5pm tonight, joining Armidale, which went into a snap lockdown two days ago for one week. Both are thought to have had positive cases travel to them from Newcastle.
Lockdown in several South East Queensland LGAs ended yesterday but restrictions remain and can be viewed here.
The Guardian reports that the following suburbs are in hard lockdown:
“Three more local government areas have been added to a hard lockdown, which now includes an outdoor mask mandate and a 5km radius travel limit, as cases continue to increase in Sydney’s west and south-west. The stricter rules now cover eight LGAs; Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool, Cumberland, Blacktown, Parramatta, Georges River and Campbelltown.
Another 12 suburbs around Penrith have also been put under hard lockdown. They are Caddens, Claremont Meadows, Colyton, Erskine Park, Kemps Creek, Kingswood, Mount Vernon, North St Marys, Orchard Hills, Oxley Park, St Clair, and St Marys.”
[UPDATE] The entire state of Victoria will go into a snap week-long lockdown from 8pm tonight, Thursday 5 August 2021. Beauty businesses, you will be well aware by now that this means you will need to close by 8pm tonight and remain closed until the lockdown is lifted.
Find all of the lockdown-related small-business funding information currently available here, at relevant government websites and industry bodies like HABA and the ABIC.
[UPDATE] It’s Thursday 5 August 2021 and it’s just been announced that the Hunter and Upper Hunter regions in NSW will head into a snap lockdown for one week from 5pm tonight.
The local government areas (LGAs) included are Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Dungog, Singleton and Muswellbrook.
The Queensland LGAs in lockdown will continue to be so until midnight on 8 August 2021 and the rest of the NSW LGAs in lockdown will remain so until 29 August 2021.
Any area in lockdown requires all in-person beauty businesses and services to be closed for the duration of the lockdown.
[UPDATE] It’s Monday 2 August 2021 and several Queensland LGAs have been in a snap lockdown since 4pm Saturday 31 2021. Lockdown was initially set to last three days but has been extended as of an announcement made at 11am this morning.
Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk has announced that lockdown will be extended in Southeast Queensland until 4pm Sunday 8 August 2021.
She says “If you are in the LGAs of Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim, you can only leave home for four reasons.” It’s the same as usual for lockdowns: outdoor exercise, caring, education or if you can’t do your work at home. If you do have to leave your home, you must wear a mask.
As beauty and personal care services are not considered essential services, they have to remain closed until 4pm on Sunday 8 August 2021.
Find all the funding available to lockdown-affected businesses and individuals in our rolling updates on COVID-19 small business funding.
NSW’s lockdown continues and an apartment block in Richmond, Victoria has been placed in lockdown, after 4 confirmed cases in the block, in an effort to stave off a wider lockdown.
[UPDATE} It’s Wednesday 28 July 2021 and South Australia and Victoria are both emerging from lockdown into states of heightened restrictions with social distancing rules and mask mandates in place.
The ABC reports that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will announced a 4-week extension to the NSW lockdown in this morning’s briefing.
It appears beauty salons and other beauty businesses in New South Wales regions under lockdown will be barred from operating until at least the end of August 2021.
[UPDATE] It’s Tuesday 27 July 2021 and it looks like Victoria is set to end lockdown this week, although enhanced restrictions and mask mandates will remain in place, which means clients and employees in beauty businesses will be required to wear masks, except where the client needs to remove a mask for a treatment.
South Australia’s lockdown is also ending at 12:01am tomorrow, Wednesday 28 July 2021, although social distancing and mask mandates will still be in place.
Premier Steven Marshall said he wanted there to be a “very high level” of ongoing use “of masks in our community”. That means masks are required in personal care services like beauty salons. “It really is one of our best protections,” Mr Marshall said.
An apartment block in western Sydney is under mandatory 14-day quarantine after a half dozen residents tested positive for COVID-19.
[UPDATE] It’s Wednesday 21 July 2021 and Orange, Blayney and Cabonne Councils have been added to the growing list of locked down areas in NSW. The regional lockdown will last from 12:01am Wednesday 21 July 2021 to 12:01am Wednesday 28 July 2021. Get more official government information at nsw.gov.au/covid-19
[UPDATE] It’s Tuesday 20 July 2021 and South Australia will enter lockdown from 6pm tonight. That means all hair, beauty and personal care services in the state are required to close for the next seven days. We will update our site with relevant small-business lockdown funding information and links as it becomes available for South Australian beauty businesses.
Victoria’s snap lockdown, its fifth, has been extended by seven days until 12:00am on Wednesday 28 July. Hair, beauty and personal care services will remain closed until then. The Victorian Business Support Package has been reopened for applications for the current lockdown and we will contact Business Victoria to find out about any additional funding opportunities, particularly for micro businesses.
[UPDATE] It’s Monday 19 July 2021 and South Australia has imposed level four restrictions from midnight tonight due to the developing situation with local positive COVID cases. All local personal care businesses need to close until Friday 23 July 2021, when the restrictions will be reviewed and updated.
Victoria’s state-wide lockdown has been extended beyond the original end date of Tuesday at midnight. Premier Dan Andrews has not given an anticipated end date. Funding for small businesses affected in Victoria has been announced and the first tranch of small business funding in NSW is open to applications from today. Funding for micro businesses opens for applications on 26 July 2021.
Construction in the Greater Sydney locked down LGAs is now banned for the duration of the enhanced lockdown, and Sydney public transit will be operating on a Sunday timetable at all times to reduce mobility.
No news that would affect beauty businesses has been reported from the other states today.
[UPDATE] It has been reported by the ABC that the state of Victoria will go into a snap lockdown from midnight tonight, Thursday 15 July 2021, after more than a dozen cases linked to a Sydney removalist were reported. Details of how long it will last have not been confirmed. This is Victoria’s fifth lockdown to date.
Victorian beauty businesses, you will, very unfortunately, know what this means… you will need to close effectively midnight tonight.
We will report on what funding is available to you, including the newly expanded Business Support package and the COVID-19 Disaster Payment, for which the liquid asset test has been scraped and payments to will be fast tracked to individuals after the first week.
NSW lockdown has been extended “at least” until Friday 30th of July, midnight and Victoria has re-introduced indoor mask-wearing rules. Details of the new joint federal-NSW government support package are now public and help everyone from individuals to micro businesses, SMEs, landlords and more. Access information around federal cash flow boosts to small, medium, and micro-businesses here and hear about how other beauty businesses are coping with the NSW lockdown here.
There is a mask mandate in across specific Queensland LGAs with the new cases reported there, and there are travel restrictions in place between several states and regions within states as well.
[UPDATE] NSW lockdown ends Friday, 16th of July, at midnight, as of today but it is likely to drag on, with the Premier saying that she will make an announcement by Thursday if there is an extension. This applies to all beauty business in the locked-down LGAs. Details of the new “cash flow boost” funding package will be released later today, Tuesday 13 July 2021.
Berejiklian says she hopes this is the last lockdown Sydney experiences before sufficient rates of vaccination are achieved. Berejiklian emphasised the importance of “reduced mobility” for the greater Sydney area, which informed the government’s decision to keep schools closed the week after school holidays end.
PREVIOUS UPDATE: There is media consensus that Premier Gladys Berejiklian is preparing to announce a one-week extension of the NSW lockdown. Restrictions were initially expected to end Friday 9th of July at midnight. We are awaiting the premiers update at 11 am today and will report any additional information, including whether there will be any allowances or additional support for beauty businesses, later today. Stay tuned.
PREVIOUS UPDATE: It’s Tuesday morning and lockdown is over in Queensland and the Northern Territory, and NSW is waiting with bated breath to find out if the state’s lockdown will be extended another week. Both ended on Saturday, although precautionary restrictions remain in place. That means beauty businesses everywhere except the NSW lockdown areas can operate with enhanced COVID-safe measures that include checking in and everyone wearing masks indoors, except clients while receiving treatments that require their removal. Beauty industry in several NSW LGAs remains shuttered until Saturday 10 July.
Strict stay-at-home orders until 11:59 pm 9 July 2021 are in place in large swaths of densely populate NSW in an attempt to slow down the transmission of the virus. Other states have also imposed restrictions and lockdown orders over the weekend. We will update restrictions here for each state as they change.
NSW
If you are a beauty business in one of the areas under stay-at-home orders, you should be closed until 11:59pm on 30 July. The latest cash flow boost from the the federal and state government has been announced and details are here and at Services NSW.
Stay-at-home orders are in place in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour until 11:59pm on 30 July 2021 and schools will remain closed for the weeks following school holidays. A public health order is in place stating you should only leave your home for essential services, outdoor exercise, to provide care or education. You can travel to your place of work if you are not able to work remotely, but a mask must be worn the entire time and social distancing rules followed.
Tighter restrictions have been announced for regional NSW. Anyone who has been in one of the 35 NSW LGAs under lockdown on or after 21 June 2021, should also follow stay-at-home orders for 14 days.
If you are a beauty business owner, you and your employees must wear a mask at all times. Clients must wear a mask unless you are doing a treatment that requires they remove the mask, and they must replace their mask after the treatment is done. Follow social distancing rules (1 person per 4sqm) and require everyone to use the COVID Safe check-in app.
Find out more at the NSW Government website here and the PB article on NSW stay-at-home orders is here.
NSW individuals in lockdown for more than 7 days who are eligible can apply for a COVID-19 Disaster Payment.
VICTORIA
If you are a Victorian beauty business owner (regional and Greater Melbourne), you and your employees must wear a mask indoors. Clients must wear a mask unless you are doing a treatment that requires they remove the mask, and they must replace their mask after the treatment is done. Follow the current social distancing rules/density limits in place.
The state has continued to relax COVID-19 restrictions after no local cases reported. A hard border has been enacted with NSW and ACT due to the recent outbreak in NSW.
Find out more at the Victoria Government website here.
ACT
Beauty businesses are operating and masks are not mandatory but are encouraged for all. It is not mandatory for all people over the age of 16 to check in at every retail location they visit.
The government website says “We encourage you to wear a face mask where physical distancing is not possible, such as public transport or crowded indoor venues. Face masks will continue to be mandatory for all domestic air travel and while in the Canberra Airport, as well as for people under stay-at-home requirements while in the community. You should also continue to follow the advice on mask wearing in high risk settings, such as hospitals, health facilities and residential aged care facilities While there is currently no community transmission, masks will add another line of defence as we work to keep COVID-19 out of Canberra.”
Find out more at the ACT Government website here.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Masks are not currently mandatory for employees and clients in beauty businesses but are encouraged in places where you cannot socially distance.
Find more information at the SA Government site here.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The Perth and Peel regions have emerged from lockdown (as of Friday 2 July) and masks were required indoor until 12 July.
Masks are encouraged for employees and clients in beauty businesses. You can ask clients to wear a mask unless you are doing a treatment that requires they remove the mask, and they should replace their mask after the treatment is done.
Restrictions apply to all businesses and people in the Perth and Peel regions.
Find more information at the WA Government site here.
QUEENSLAND
New local cases of COVID-19 in Queensland means the mask mandate is still in effect for another week for the 11 LGAs of: Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim.
Beauty business may operate so long as:
- Masks are worn in indoors, which would include beauty establishments.
- Your business follows the one person per 4m² inside mandate, while smaller venues up to 200m² are allowed one person per 2m² with a maximum of 50 people.
Masks are mandatory for employees and clients in beauty businesses. Clients must wear a mask unless you are doing a treatment that requires they remove the mask, and they must replace their mask after the treatment is done.
Find out more at the Queensland Government website here.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Lockdown has been lifted in all areas in the Northern Territory and beauty businesses can operate. Masks are encourage indoors when you are unable to stay more than 1.5 metres away from other people, which includes beauty businesses. All businesses are required to have a unique QR code and all visitors are required to sign in.
All clients must check in using the Territory Check In app.
Find more information at the NT Department of Health here.
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