• From the 2020 celebration. They’ll need to be masked up this time.

PLANS to inspect vaccination certificates at Australia Day viewing hotspots have been binned, but attendees will have to mask up.

Last week both Perth and South Perth councils said attendees were required to be double vaccinated and 80 “Covid marshals” would be doing “spot checks” to make sure people had proof. 

A revised statement from Perth council says “while proof of vaccination will no longer be required, for the safety of everyone attending we encourage visitors to be double vaccinated, practice physical distancing where possible and use the hand sanitiser provided”.

Masks will now be needed, lord mayor Basil Zempilas said at a press conference on Monday: “The premier said very clearly on Friday in his news conference that it is now a requirement that people wear masks at Australia Day celebrations, indoors and outdoors.”

The Covid marshals will be handing out a few spare masks to the forgetful.

The 2021 skyworks was cancelled due to Covid and Mr Zempilas has copped some commenters on social media calling on him to cancel 2022 for fear it’ll be a superspreader event.

Mr Zempilas said: “There’s an uncertain environment around at the moment, we all know that, and in some ways the easiest thing to do right now with all of the prevailing conditions would’ve been to cancel the fireworks show and say it’s just too big a risk or it’s just too uncertain.

“But I’m really pleased [with] the team at the City of Perth, their enthusiasm for us to be able to proceed with the event has been matched by the council – and so accordingly given the advice from the health department it is safe to proceed on Wednesday night, we are proceeding, all guns blazing.”

by DAVID BELL