In bad news, it looks like Australian pubs won’t be opening for at least two months. In good news, you can now channel your newfound passion of Foccacia baking and channel it into becoming an expert brewer of mulled wine.
As Sunday Herald reports, experts have predicted that pubs and bars will not be opening until after winter.
“Unfortunately I don’t think until September this year at the earliest,” explains Peter Collignon, a professor of microbiology at the Australian National University. “Winter is coming and that is our next big risk time – for all respiratory viruses, including this one.
“I think for a while longer with large intermingling groups inside, we need to play safe which is better than being very sorry afterwards.”
Tony Blakely, a professorial fellow in epidemiology at Melbourne University, echoes professor Collignon’s statement. Stressing that depending on the government’s strategy, and how effective curve-flattening is, there would still need to be three weeks with zero cases before society reopens.
“I can’t see pubs being within the first month of it,” Professor Blakely said. “So to answer your question, I can’t see pubs being opened up for at least two months from now.”
Your pub dreams may be dashed but patience is pleasures greatest advocate and we’re visualising how satisfying that first, crisp pint of VB is going to feel knowing that we’ve put the health of the public before our desire to knock back a frothy with our friends.
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In the meantime, we can’t stress enough the feelings of bliss that ordering piss from our favourite local pubs and hosting themed Zoom trivia nights conjures up. There are no drink lines, no gross men lingering and you get to spend all-day fashioning a Velma from Scooby Doo costume out of clothes you already own which takes up all that spare isolation time that is probably driving you to madness. So check out the wears your favourite watering holes are flogging, and help small businesses stay afloat during this chaotic time.
