Business Guidelines and Safety Plans
All businesses are required to lodge a COVID-19 Safety Plan by filling out the relevant checklists available.
If you are a Northern Territory (NT) business or organisation that has been impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, the NT Government has created steps to help you restart your business while managing your safety responsibilities around coronavirus (COVID-19).
Chief Health Officer Directions require businesses to have a COVID-19 Safety Plan to demonstrate how they meet the key principles of physical distancing and hygiene practices.
These requirements are specified in CHO Directions – Directions for Safety Measures for Places, Businesses, Activities, Services and Premises.
A COVID-19 Safety Plan checklist must be completed and submitted online. The checklist forms the businesses COVID-19 Safety Plan.
The CHO Directions also require businesses to comply with and review their COVID-19 Safety Plans at least every six months to make sure they continue to address any required safety responsibilities.
Businesses with a COVID-19 Safety Plan must also appoint a COVID Safety Supervisor to facilitate the implementation of their businesses COVID-19 Safety Plan.
The COVID-19 Safety Plan must be available to show to an authorised officer upon request.
COVID-19 is spread from person-to-person through close contact and droplets including:
The Chief Health Officer is introducing new directions that require businesses to review their COVID-19 Safety Plan every six months, appoint a COVID Safety Supervisor and collect customer contact details to assist with contact tracing to keep Territorians safe.
- direct contact with infected persons
- contact with droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze
- touching contaminated objects or surfaces (like doorknobs or tables), and then touching your mouth or face.
The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect your business is through maintaining good hygiene practices, following physical distancing principles and other safety measures.
To lodge a COVID-19 Safety Plan you will need to complete the checklist relevant to your business or organisation. The checklist will demonstrate how you will meet the required physical distancing and hygiene rules.
If your business or organisation has multiple locations, you must apply for each premises.
To get you started, read the guidelines before completing the checklist.
- Art galleries, community organisations and places of religious worship
- Beauty therapy, cosmetic services and tattooists
- Casinos and licensed gaming venues
- Cinema, theatres, nightclubs and similar entertainment venues
- Contact sport and active recreation
- Events and public gatherings
- General business, community and organisations
- Health and wellness
- Libraries
- Parks, community centres, recreation centres and play centres
- Restaurants, cafes, bars and food courts
- Sex workers
- Tour operators
After you apply
Once you submit your checklist, you will immediately be emailed a summary of your submission which you can use/ display at your businesses as interim approval until you receive a formal statement of commitment. This may take up to 14 days.
Compliance checks
An environmental health officer will visit you to carry out compliance checks to ensure you are meeting your responsibilities as outlined in your COVID-19 safety plan.
In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, the approval of events and public gatherings is founded upon physical distancing and hygiene principles to protect the community from the spread of COVID-19.
A major public event is an event or public gathering that is ticketed or open to the public at a private location or a public place. A major public event also requires the appointment of a
COVID-19 Safety Supervisor.
It is important that you keep informed about the Directions of the Chief Health Officer
and any restrictions that relate to the types of activities that you may undertake.
There are different requirements depending on the size of your event. A
Read more about events and gatherings to find out your responsibilities when organising an event or public gathering.