Australia’s pubs, clubs, cafes and gyms closed their doors for one last time on Monday as new restrictions to battle the coronavirus pandemic began.
On Sunday Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced ‘stage one’ restrictions, ordering pubs and licensed premises close for six months.
The restrictions also cover places of worship, casinos, restaurants and cafes without takeaway services, nightclubs and registered clubs.
Fitness fanatics rushed into gyms for one final workout before the lockdown came into play across the nation at midday on Monday.
Fitness fanatics like Glen Armener (pictured) rushed into gyms for one final workout before the lockdown comes into play across the nation at midday on Monday
Stacey Steiner, a personal trainer and fitness model, is among City Gym’s longtime staff who is effectively now out of a job
Scott Morrison’s decision to shut fitness centres in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus is anticipated to cost 20,000 jobs in the industry.
But the owner of one of Sydney’s biggest gyms has slammed the government’s decision to close gyms, arguing they are ‘essential’.
City Gym owner Billy Kokkinis told Daily Mail Australia they had put serious efforts in place in a bid to stay open.
‘For us it’s a bit of a disaster, we can’t understand why we have to shut – we played by the rules and did everything possible,’ he said.
‘We spent extra money on cleaners, kept people away from each other and did everything the government asked of us.
‘To come up on us and close us down… we hope we can have something to come back to when it’s all over, but we don’t know.’
Pubs across the country also shut at midday on Monday, with some punters enjoying one last drink for the foreseeable future
Two patrons sit alone inside an otherwise empty pub, severely affected by the government’s coronavirus measures
Stacey Steiner, a personal trainer and fitness model, is among City Gym’s longtime staff who is effectively now out of a job.
She said the impact on her and many of her colleagues would be enormous.
‘My partner and I are personal trainers so it’s going to hit us really hard,’ Ms Steiner said.
‘Workout wise for me, in a figure pro, so I’m going to lose a lot of shape and you just don’t know how long it’s going to go on for.
‘It’s a bit eerie coming in here for one last session in who knows how long?’
NRL legend turned gym owner Mark ‘Spudd’ Carroll is afraid he will not be able to keep his business afloat over the coming months.
He believes the biggest impact from people being banned from working out will not be physical, but mental.
‘The mental health is going to be the biggest one of all and this is where the government has got it wrong in terms of gyms,’ Mr Carroll said.
‘It’s not only body, it’s mind. If people say to me: “Spudd, can I train?” Of course I am going to train them.
NRL legend turned gym owner Mark ‘Spudd’ Carroll is afraid he will not be able to keep his business afloat over the coming months
Fitness centers like City Gym (pictured) had put in place stringent measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in recent weeks, including employing extra cleaners
City Gym owner Billy Kokkinis (right) said the shutdown was ‘a bit of a disaster’ for his and many other businesses
‘I’ve lost 75 per cent of my business in the last week, because everyone is worried out there – we hear different messages every hour.
‘How long is it going to last? Three months or six months? I’ll back myself to start up again, but who knows?’
Australian Hotels Association boss Stephen Ferguson said it was a ‘sad day’ for pubs and clubs across the country.
‘The health and well-being of our staff and patrons is paramount to all other considerations,’ Mr Ferguson said.
‘In times like this, it is essential for us all to follow the instructions of our Governments and medical officers.
‘But there’s no doubt this move is already having a devastating impact on our direct national workforce of 250,000 and our millions of patrons.
‘We saw what an important role hotels play in their communities during the recent bushfires across large parts of the nation – today’s closure is an unprecedented move which will have a big social impact for months to come.’