Partying Safely During a Pandemic.

Coronavirus does not seem to be going away anytime soon, but restrictions are lifting, and the vaccinations are being rolled out across the country.

People who have been quarantined or effected by lockdowns are ready to reconnect with friends and families. Some celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, rescheduling weddings and corporate events, maybe even you are thinking of throwing a year-end get-together.

This might be hard to navigate in the current climate, what are the rules? Let’s see if we can give you some guidance!

Unlike impromptu ‘scenes’ from back in the day, you need to give people plenty of notice before your event. We need to keep in mind, in general, that nothing is how it used to be. Giving people enough time to pencil in your event is imperative.

Have conversations with guests and vendors ahead of time to set expectations for a safe gathering. Confirm with your guests that if you provide things like Grazing Boards, Buffets, Finger Foods, Donut Walls, Chocolate Fountains etc. that your guests feel comfortable eating from them, as you may be wasting your money. You may need to opt for individual meals to meet your guests’ expectations.

Don’t be alarmed if your guests want to wear a mask. It’s entirely their prerogative, and you shouldn’t take offence that they are in your home and are still trying to maintain distance or keep their face covered.

Similarly, some guests may excessively wash their hands. Be a graceful host and keep multiple bottles of sanitiser within arm’s reach in different corners of your home so that people are never too far away from disinfectant.

Vaccinations are a personal thing, but be prepared with your answer as to whether the unvaccinated guests are allowed to attend from both sides of the topic.  

10 Key Points:

• Encourage your friends and family to maintain social distancing at parties by limiting the number of guests invited to suit the space you have.
• Keep a copy of your invited guests and attendance to your event for at least 2 weeks for track & trace purposes.
• Please try and give hired staff space to work so they can maintain their social distance as much as possible.
• Please ask guests who are sick not to attend or if they do attend to go home.
• Ensure all vendors have their Covid Safety Plans and Vaccinations as required by law.
• Any staff you are hiring for your event for food or beverage service must have completed the AHA Covid-19 Hygiene Course (Mandatory for Hospitality Workers in WA only)
• All staff serving alcohol must have their Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate as required by law.
• There is no evidence that handling or eating food spreads Covid-19, but it is always important to follow food safety practices.
• Avoid crowds and indoors spaces that do not offer fresh air from the outdoors. If indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible.
• Follow all Government Advice and Restrictions.

If you would like to see how we take extra steps at Cosmic Cocktails & Events to protect our staff and customers please visit our Covid-19 Best Practice page.