Slip, slop, slap. Keys, wallet, phone. Shit, shower, shave. For some reason, the best reminders of everyday routines tend to focus on three easy words. Following in these footsteps, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has launched a PSA campaign to help encourage safer behaviours while we’re on a night out in the city.
Check, Check, Check calls for Melburnians to check in when they arrive at a venue, check their hands by sanitising or washing them, and check themselves by practising good social distancing and wearing a mask where appropriate while out enjoying the city. By remembering these three key aspects of going out in 2020, the people of Melbourne can help prevent keep everyone safe while still making the most of our vibrant culture.
As we emerge from what was a challenging second lockdown, it’s vital that we’re being safe every single time we step outside our homes. For all the businesses that have struggled through two lockdowns, we need to make sure we’re doing our best to avoid another closure for businesses, particularly those in the hospitality sector.
As a greater degree of normality returns to Victoria, health authorities continue to urge caution from the public. Get tested. Stick by the rules. And until there is an effective vaccine that can be administered nationwide, the best defence we have against another wave are the health guidelines outlined by the Check, Check, Check campaign.
Check, Check, Check has already been embraced by some of Melbourne’s most loved venues, including St Ali, Arbory, Stomping Ground and hospo heavyweights the Australian Venue Co and Sand Hill Road Group. Sal Malatesta, the owner of St Ali, said: “Local businesses and individuals have been really hit hard by the second lockdown and we need to make sure we don’t go back to those strict measures. That’s why a campaign is such an important reminder to ensure patrons are supporting businesses on their endeavour to reopen safely. Keeping everyone in check will mean a much quicker road to recovery.”
The campaign launched up in Sydney last month, where the chair of the NTIA, Michael Rodrigues (also the managing director of Time Out Australia), said the easy to remember phrase should “create an association with the actions required of patrons.”
"In the same way venues are prepping for customers before they arrive, punters need to establish new rituals when they get to their local. Similar to 'slip, slop, slap' when you're heading out in the sun, it's check in, check your hands, check yourself when you get to a venue."