Dancing allowed again at weddings and functions – but there are strict rules

In a rare overruling of SA Health advice, SA’s top Covid chief has permitted dancing and stand-up drinking at licensed venues – but it could end in a snap.

Dancing is back again at weddings and private functions from tomorrow after a public backlash at “frustrating” Covid-19 bans.

In a rare overruling of SA Health advice, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens will allow up to 50 people on dance floors and outdoor standing-up drinking of alcohol at licensed venues.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier wanted restrictions to stay.

Industry leaders, stressed business owners and couples last night celebrated changes, announced a day after a hospitality industry protest, which come into effect from 12.01am Thursday.

The transition committee recommended dancing bans, which The Advertiser and Sunday Mail have consistently highlighted, stay at pubs and nightclubs, while patrons must also be seated while drinking indoors.

Mr Stevens said he overruled Professor Spurrier after a “constructive discussion” at the committee’s meeting, but warned the new rules would be scrapped in an outbreak.

He praised a “compliant” community and high levels of mask usage but warned of a drop in QR code check-ins.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has announced that dancing will now be allowed at weddings and other functions. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“We’ve seen levels of frustration within the community because of the restrictions we have in place,” he said.

“We’ve also seen the … impact of these restrictions on people’s employment, particularly small business operators and sole traders.

“We’re trying as much as possible to balance the … risk of Covid-19 with the consequences of some of these restrictions and that factored into our decision making.”

The new rules cap dance floors at a third of a maximum 150 private event guests, such as weddings, parties, birthdays, sports awards nights, or social functions.

Home gathering caps are still at 20 people despite this weekend’s AFL grand final.

The Australian Hotels Association and Business SA had lobbied authorities to overturn the public activity rules while hospitality venues had rallied hours before the committee met.

AHA SA chief executive Ian Horne welcomed “sensible and commonsense steps” but called for wider easing of bans at venues.

Elouise Porteous and Robby Gagliardi are happy to hear dancing will be allowed at their wedding on Friday. Picture: Tom Huntley

“It will assist hospitality operators and their employees in what are the toughest of trading times,” Mr Horne said.

Business SA boss Martin Haese, whose organisation had “requested” the committee revisit dancing bans, said he was pleased, but added: “This ruling will not benefit all businesses but it’s an important step forward.”

A spokeswoman for more than 100 wedding venues and suppliers, Kelly Markos, said the industry was “relieved”.

“The joy among my wedding colleagues right now … is hard to communicate,” Ms Markos said.

“Such a massive weight has lifted. I feel a little sense of hope now that we might get through this.”

Morphettville couple, recruiter Elouise Porteous, 27, and airconditioner specialist Robby Gagliardi, 34, are celebrating ahead of their nuptials at Utopia @ Waterfall Gully in front of 45 guests.

“We’re so happy we can now dance and celebrate with friends and family,” she said.

Kelly Markos, who owns wedding venues Utopia @ Waterfall Gully and Glanville Hall, has been campaigning for the change.

Last week, the state’s Covid-19 chiefs warned changes were unlikely before vaccination rates hit 80 per cent targets in December.

Mr Stevens said as jab rates got close to that mark it would “influence some of our considerations in terms of how we manage risk and how we allow things to occur”.

Professor Spurrier said her advice was made against high interstate Delta risk, but warned a “Freedom day” was unlikely. “Until we have our vaccination rate up so much higher, we still need to maintain restrictions,” she said.

SA Health on Tuesday night revealed a “false positive” test result from an SA teenage boy in NSW, hours after Prof Spurrier had raised concerns.

Mr Stevens said test rules would ease for Queensland travellers from Saturday and vaccination deadlines for essential border workers, such as truck drivers extended by three weeks.

MPs were on Tuesday told the shambolic SA Health travel exemptions system was “clunky” and had “bugs” amid a backlog of 5900 permits. Wait times have been slashed to a month after 11,000 applications in the past six weeks.

Covid-19 chiefs last week said they were unlikely to make any changes to “high risk” activities, such as dancing or singing at public events such as weddings, until later in the year.

But wedding industry leaders and hospitality chiefs called for an urgent review of the restrictions, saying the rules were crippling their businesses.

And on the weekend, the state’s entertainment industry called on Prof Spurrier to lift the ban on dancing.

Mr Stevens authorised an increase in guests at weddings and private functions from 50 people to 150 people earlier this month.