The Batemans Bay Soldiers Club says its electronic contact tracing system has paid off after two previous visitors this week tested positive to COVID-19.
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Club CEO Paul Biddlestone said it took just half an hour to provide NSW Health with the contact details for everyone who visited on Monday, July 13, the same day as the Sydney father and son.
"Within 30 minutes NSW Health had contact details of everyone who had been in the club that day," Mr Biddlestone said.
The pair was at the club between 7pm and 9.30pm.
They were asymptomatic at the time but potentially infectious, health authorities announced on Friday, July 17. The pair returned to Sydney on Wednesday, July 15, and subsequently tested positive.
Mr Biddlestone said health authorities praised the club's social distancing measures and described any contact with the pair as "casual".
"They cannot fault what we are doing," he said.
NSW Health has not insisted the venue close its doors, however the club has decided to shut until Tuesday, July 21, so staff members who wish to be tested can do so.
After an extremely tough year, Mr Biddlestone said staff were "anxious" and it was better to "have some breathing space".
He said eight weeks of planning had gone into how the club could reopen safely and staff had formed a "COVID Crew" to lead that process.
"The staff came up with the policy," Mr Biddlestone said.
He said they reduced the capacity of the large club to just 400 people, even though they could legally host more.
The club had been overhauled during lockdown.
All "pinch points" were removed so groups could not queue or gather. Marshalls patrolled the club to ensure social distancing was respected.
"We want to make sure we are going above and beyond what is expected," Mr Biddlestone said.
He said everyone knew, as the lockdown eased, there was a risk of an infected visitor coming to a Batemans Bay venue.
He said the news was "devastating", but the club had done all it could to protect staff and visitors for such a day.
He said the club reached out to licensing authorities to involve them in how to manage social distancing.
"We are the benchmark," he said.
"You would not wish it on your worst enemy, but we have done everything we have been told and more, even to the detriment of our own business."
