NSW and Victoria, the two Australian states hit worst by the coronavirus pandemic, have pledged to ease social restrictions further in the coming weeks.
Following an announcement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison that a 100-person country-wide limit will be removed in July, State Premiers in NSW and Vic each announced the next steps in their own plans.
NSW has scrapped the current 50-person cap on people allowed at indoor venues including cafes, restaurants, pubs and churches, from July 1. However, the one person per four square metre rule will apply.
As SMH reports, this will allow outdoor cultural and sporting venues with a capacity of up to 40,000 people to seat at 25% capacity. The state reported 9 coronavirus cases
“The community has worked incredibly hard over the past few months which has allowed us to be where we are today,” said Premier Gladys Berejiklian. “However we can’t let our guard down. People need to come forward for testing with the mildest of symptoms and practise good hand hygiene and social distancing.”
Protest rallies definitely won’t be included, as Berejiklian recently pledged to block any future Black Lives Matter protests.
As for Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews announced that his state’s cap on people attending indoor spaces including cafes, restaurants, pubs, cinemas, libraries and more, will increase from 20 to 50 from June 22.
Victorians will no longer be required to purchase a meal if they want to buy a drink at a venue, but table service will remain in place.
Gyms reopened across NSW this weekend already, and from June 22 they will reopen across Victoria.
“A day with zero cases is good, but not every day has to be zero cases in order for us to be able to slowly, cautiously, gradually open up,” said Andrews. “We are going to see more cases, we are going to see outbreaks, that’s what a suppression strategy is all about.”
The Prime Minister’s own statement on Friday saw him suggest that crowds at sporting matches, concerts and festivals would likely be able to return.
“It would have to be a large, open area. There would need to be seats at the appropriate distance. It would need to be ticketed, so people would be able to understand who was in attendance at that event,” he said.
The NSW Government and ARIA have since pledged to bring 1,000 gigs to the state in November, as part of their Great Southern Nights initiative.
