A regional South Australian agricultural show has scrapped requirements for mandatory vaccination and relaxed COVID-19 social distancing rules just two days before gates open.
South East Field Days, held in the agricultural heartland of the Limestone Coast, will kick off this Friday after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Last-minute changes to South Australia’s COVID-19 restrictions have triggered organisers to dump the requirement for all adults to show proof of double vaccination for admission into the site.
Social distancing rules have also been relaxed for outdoor areas of the field days.
Despite the changes, event organising committee secretary Lyn Crosby warned the event would not be “open
slather” with some rules still in place.
Attendees will be required to do QR code check-ins to enter the venue, as well as wear masks in all indoor areas, including pavilions and bathrooms.
Sanitising stations will also be available, with Ms Crosby stating that “hygiene is still paramount”.
Ms Crosby urged people to be courteous despite the loosening of the rules.
‘We can now relax our social distancing, and there will be no proof of vaccination asked for at the gate,” she said.
Ms Crosby said the new rule changes would free up volunteers who would otherwise be checking proof of vaccination within the event or ensuring social distancing requirements were followed.
“It will relieve us in some places because we don’t have to have marshals, people have been freed up to go elsewhere, so it’s working well,” she said.
Ms Cosby said initial vaccination rules triggered several unvaccinated stallholders to withdraw from the event.
She said several more were unable to attend due to testing positive or being affected by the floods.
Despite this, Ms Crosby said organisers were still expecting bumper crowds at the event.
“All the tents are going up,” she said.
The South East Field Days will operate this Friday and Saturday, with gates open between 8am and 5pm.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Loading form…
Posted , updated
