Tips for holding a COVIDSafe NAIDOC Week event

Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to be a concern for communities around Australia.

This NAIDOC Week, let’s keep our mob safe by making sure our events and celebrations are held in a COVIDSafe way.

Check your State and Territory website

All States and territories have public health measures in place to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community.

If you are holding a large-scale event, you may need to work with the authorities in your state or territory and submit a COVIDSafe Event plan.

Find out more about the requirements for holding events in your state or territory:

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

Be sure to check your State or Territory website regularly for changes in restrictions. It is a good idea to have back-up plans in case restrictions or health advice change.

Stay home if you are unwell

Make sure your guests understand that they should not attend your event if they feel unwell and that they should get tested for COVID-19. People should also stay home if they have been tested for COVID-19, or are a close contact of someone who is being tested for COVID-19.

If your event is paid or ticketed, make sure you take a look at your refund policy to ensure guests are informed of what to do if they are unwell and discouraged from attending.

Encourage COVIDSafe behaviours

Encourage COVIDSafe behaviours at your event including good hand hygiene, physical distancing and sneeze etiquette. The Department of Health and NACCHO have free resources available to help you encourage these behaviours at your event.

It is important to keep your distance while at in-person events and celebrations. While attending an event, be mindful to keep a 1.5 metre physical distance from others.

As an event organiser, you may need to consider how people will move around the event. You can use floor markers or barriers to ensure people maintain their physical distance as well verbal reminders from staff or volunteers. Physical distance also needs to be considered at entry and exit points to the event as well as in the event of an evacuation or emergency.

Record keeping to support contact tracing

Record keeping is essential to help efficient and effective contract tracing should a COVID-19 positive contact attend your event. It is very important that you keep a record of all visitors, staff, contractors or volunteer on-site and this includes before, during and after the event.

States may also require that events have a QR check-in code. Check your local requirements and plan ahead so that event staff are able to direct people to the right information to check in.

NAIDOC Week event attendees can also download the COVIDSafe app on their smartphones. COVIDSafe can help state and territory health officials contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) should there be an outbreak. The app is completely voluntary and must be used in conjunction with QR check-in codes and/or event record keeping.

Consider hosting a virtual event

Virtual events are a great way for people to be able to participate in NAIDOC week from their own home or office. Consider hosting interactive events such as arts and craft workshops, language lessons, quizzes, cooking classes, interviews, Q&A sessions or webinars.

If you are hosting an in-person event, you can also use social media to livestream the event online to people who may need or want to attend virtually. Options for livestreaming an event include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.