Hospitality managers and workers in New South Wales and Victoria are breathing a sigh of relief this week as restrictions are further eased across both states.
Following Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement last week about scrapping the 100-person rule, the state Premiers have made their own announcements about what that means for their regions.
In New South Wales, capacity limits for hospitality businesses are being scrapped entirely from July 1st, and only the 4 square metre rule will remain in place - meaning that each person at the venue must have 4 square metres of space to themselves.
In good news for caterers in the state, sporting grounds with a capacity of 40,000 are allowed to reopen but only at a quarter capacity, and weddings are also permitted under the 4 square metre rule (although restrictions apply such as the use of dancefloors). Nightclubs, however, must be remained closed in New South Wales.
In Victoria, hospitality venues are moving from a 20 person capacity limit to a 50 person capacity limit on June 22nd, as long as the four square metre rule can be adhered to.
Customers are able to buy a drink without consuming a meal, but all customer must be seated at a table. Standing at or ordering at a bar is not permitted. All customers must also leave contact details with the venue in case contact tracing is required.
The Australian government has determined that the COVID-19 outbreak can only be kept under control if the growth rate is less than or equal to 1 - meaning every infected person only passes the coronavirus onto one other person (or less). The current growth rate is exactly 1.0 meaning that Australia is right on the precipice of having the virus under control and being on the verge of a worsening outbreak. Hospitality workers are certainly hoping that it’s now under control and their jobs get back to normal sooner rather than later.