Gym numbers increased to 75 but dance studio restrictions remain
More people will be allowed to hit the gym or the pub as virus restrictions relax but not everyone will be dancing for joy, with some rules to stay in force.
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Gyms are celebrating a reprieve from severe COVID-19 restrictions as the 20-person limit is lifted to 75 from next Friday.
Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said the changes had been made possible by studies showing the virus was not spread as easily in gyms where fixed equipment was being used because the crowds did not mingle.
Social distancing rules will still apply, and in bad news for the industry, dance and exercise classes have been declared high risk because of the high-energy setting.
Dance teacher Pep Rigano, from the Australian Company of Performing Arts said the industry was also angry that it have been “lumped in with” activities considered dangerous such as boxing classes at gyms, when they had nothing in common.
“We should not be in the fitness category but competitive sport – now people will be allowed to play basketball with physical contact, but not dance,’’ he said.
“These are not dance exercise classes, and we have implemented such strict hygiene measures already.
“It is very frustrating as small businesses.”
Prof Spurier said the State Government was considering whether the large dance and exercise classes could be resumed but with a distancing rule of one person per 7sq m.
“When you are in a closed indoor sport area there is a higher risk, in a Zumba class for example,’’ she said.
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“We will be looking very closely at all the venues, and we have opened gyms with the 4sq m rule, but we will be looking at the numbers of people allowed in fitness classes.
“The gyms will increase to 75 but there will be limits on fitness classes and Fitness Australia has recommended one person per 7 sqm.’’
Venue limits will also be increased from 80 to 300.
The changes are part of a “Stage 2.5” change, which had not been planned but was announced today by Premier Steven Marshall after the state performed better than expected in limiting the spread of the disease.
Pubs and clubs raise a glass to new virus rules
Large hospitality venues are the big winners from eased COVID-19 restrictions with the current 20-person per room limit increased to 75, and the total venue cap increased from 80 to 300 from June 19.
But smaller settings say they will still operate under the social distancing rule of one person per 4sq m, which will limit many to 20 people or less.
Dubbed stage 2.5 by Premier Steven Marshall, the new rules begin on Friday – and the move to stage three will be brought forward from July 3 to June 29. On that date, hospitality headcounts will be capped at 75 per room and 300 across the venue, but social distancing rules will still apply.
Australian Hotels Association chief executive Ian Horne said the organisation lobbied hard for headcount restrictions to be lifted for the Saturday night Showdown at Adelaide Oval, but with limits of 20 people per room still in place almost every venue showing the game was already booked out.
“These are the rules, but there you go, we are ahead of Victoria which is good, but nothing will change for the Showdown,’’ he said.
“The other problem is that small venues are not helped at all because they are totally capped by the 4sq m rule.’’
Norwood’s Cafe Bravo co-owner Nadine Venditti said is was “great to see restrictions are being lifted and earlier than expected” but her venue would still be limited by the one person per four square metres rule.
“We won’t be able to increase our capacity yet because we are capped,’’ she said.
“We are having to turn customers away because of this.
“Ideally the rule should be removed and allow cafe and restaurant owners to manage it responsibly.”
Stage three does not include plans to reopen nightclubs, but gambling venues, notably the Adelaide Casino will open on June 29.
National chief executive of the Restaurant and Catering Association Wes Lambert said while the cap easing would help large venues it would not help small or medium venues.
“We welcome the cap changes, but for the small and medium restaurants, this will continue to affect their ability to recover,’’ he said.
“While that and border restrictions are in place we will keep lobbying government to continue Jobkeeper, and the mandatory landlord code of practice, as well as insolvency protections.”
He said the states “also have to continue payroll tax abatement and deferment”.