Pubs and clubs to open their restaurants to 10 customers from Friday, state government says
- NSW pubs and clubs will open their doors to 10 patrons at a time from Friday
- Bar areas and gaming facilities will remain shut for the foreseeable future
- Some bigger venues will not reopen because of the 10 patron policy
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Pubs and clubs will open their doors to 10 patrons at a time from Friday, following the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in New South Wales.
All bar areas and gaming facilities will remain shut, but allowing customers to dine in will give the industry a much needed boost after a long eight week forced closure.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison closed bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, gyms and cinemas on March 23 to slow the spread of the deadly COVID-19.
Now that the curve of infection rates has seemingly flattened in Australia, the federal government gave the green light for states to begin easing restrictions within their own timeline.
The Northern Territory and New South Wales will allow restaurants, cafes and bars to reopen from May 15 with restricted patrons
All venues must still adhere to social distancing policies and stick to the strict 10-patron rule
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week said she would open cafes and restaurants from Friday, and overnight added limited services at pubs and clubs.
‘This is an important first step, and we want it to be a success, so that as venues transition back from closure they do so safely both for their staff and their customers,’ NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said.
All venues must still adhere to social distancing policies and stick to the strict 10-patron rule.
‘We realise the smaller venues will be the ones who gain most, but we are working hard to ensure we open in a safe manner and get the economy back up and firing,’ Mr Perrottet said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week said she would open cafes and restaurants from Friday, and overnight added limited services at pubs and clubs
The decision is a huge boost for regional towns where the pub is the only place locals can eat out.
But bigger pubs in Sydney and other cities may feel that opening up for ten customers is not worth the trouble financially.
Hospitality giant Merivale confirmed it would stick to operating on a takeaway-only policy until restrictions were eased further.
NSW recorded six new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, three with unknown sources.
On Monday, there were zero new infections in the state.
More to come.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison closed bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, gyms and cinemas on March 23 to slow the spread of the deadly COVID-19