Updates to the COVID Event Plans process for high risk events

On 18 September 2020 the State Government announced COVID Event Plans and Guidelines for events with more than 500 people. These are in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at a public or private event.

Further information has been released regarding the submission of high risk COVID Event Plans to the Department of Health, including mandatory cut-off dates for those events occurring in December and January.

HIGH RISK COVID Event Plans: 

The following requirements apply to high risk COVID Event Plans:

• plans must be submitted to the Department of Health a minimum of 3 weeks prior to the event (note modified cut-off dates for Dec/Jan events below)
• plans submitted to the Department of Health less than three weeks prior to an event (or after the cut-off dates below) will not be reviewed and the event cannot proceed
• plans will be reviewed by the Department of Health a maximum of two times (initial submission and one resubmission).

High risk COVID Event Plans will be assessed by the Department of Health in order of the date in which they are received. Due to the volume of submissions, event organisers are encouraged to submit their COVID Event Plans to local government as soon as possible, to ensure it is escalated to the Department in a timely manner. 

Important information for Events scheduled for December 2020 and January 2021: 

• COVID Event Plans will not be reviewed between 24 December 2020 – 4 January 2021. 
• If an event is scheduled to be held in December 2020 or January 2021, please note the mandatory cut-off dates for submission of high risk COVID Event Plans to the Department of Health. 

For more detailed information on the Department of Health’s requirements related to the submission of high risk COVID Event Plans, refer to the COVID Event Plan Process.