Supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies could REFUSE entry to unvaccinated people under hardline new Queensland rules
- Vaccine mandate in Queensland could extend to supermarkets and chemists
- Small Business Minister Di Farmer said businesses could opt in to the mandate
- Unvaccinated cannot enter pubs, bars, restaurants and cinemas from Dec 17
- Supermarkets and pharmacies were exempt from the mandate as essential
By
FRASER BARTON FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 15:12 AEDT, 9 December 2021 | UPDATED: 18:43 AEDT, 9 December 2021
Queensland supermarkets, pharmacies and other essential businesses could have the ability to mandate vaccination and exclude unvaccinated people, according to the state's small business minister.
Anyone entering a cafe, restaurant, bar, club, pub, theatre, cinema, museum, library or sport stadium will need to be fully vaccinated under a statewide mandate from December 17.
The mandate doesn't extend to essential services like grocery stores, but Small Business Minister Di Farmer says all private business are allowed to opt in to the mandate.
'The ability to mandate that staff and patrons be vaccinated is available to every business,' Ms Farmer told reporters on Thursday.
'Any business is able to make that decision, and I think a lot of them are actually thinking about that very seriously.
'(When Queensland opens up) you will need to be protected and businesses all over Queensland will be making that decision.
'If a person decides not to be vaccinated, then those are the things that they will take into consideration.'