SA cafes, restaurants to serve meals indoors – and pubs to reopen early
South Aussies will be able to enjoy a beer at the pub from June 5, with a meal. And in other good news, indoor meals will be permitted – with alcohol – at restaurants and cafes from this Friday.
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Get ready for it South Aussies – pubs will reopen in just over a fortnight, for seated dining only.
The State Government has confirmed hotels will be allowed to open their doors to the public from June 5, three days earlier than previously anticipated.
The move means pubs will be able to take advantage of the June long weekend trade - however hotels will only be able to alcohol to seated diners.
In other good news, further restrictions will also be lifted on cafes and restaurants.
From Friday this week, all cafes and restaurants will be allowed to serve meals indoors with a glass of wine.
They will be allowed to seat up to 20 patrons – 10 indoors and 10 outdoors – and sell alcohol.
It comes as SA recorded another day of zero COVID-19 cases.
The South Australian Roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions has been updated. STEP 1: Indoor and outdoor dining allowed at cafes and restaurants (10 indoors/10 outdoors) from 22 May. STEP 2: Changes will come into effect from 5 June. Updated roadmap: https://t.co/yg2v6rmuWT pic.twitter.com/Dn3y48ykVX
— SA Health (@SAHealth) May 20, 2020
The total number of cases remains at 439, with no active cases and 435 people have recovered.
Four people have died of the disease and one person who has been cleared of it remains in hospital recovering from after effects.
SA Pathology has conducted more than 83,000 tests.
Discussions are continuing on how many people will be allowed inside pubs.
Premier Steven Marshall and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens announced the easing of coronavirus restrictions and the move to Step 2 of the state’s Road to Recovery this morning.
The reopening of hotels falls in line with Step 2 of the plan, which will come into effect on June 5 and will see restrictions eased on:
• cinemas and theatres
• galleries and museums
• beauty, nail, tattoo and non-therapeutic massage businesses
• driving lessons
• gyms and indoor fitness activities
• funerals (maximum of 50 attendees)
• competition sport without spectators.
Random breath testing will also restart from Friday, to coincide with cafes and restaurants being allowed to serve alcohol.
Police stopped testing drivers via RBT stations in March to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus. Mobile testing continued.
State Coordinator and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the Government was taking a “principles-based approach” to the Step 2.
“What this means is instead of having a blanket rule for every business in South Australia, we’ll be developing protocols that businesses will have to adopt and that will enable them to take full advantage of the economic benefits of reopening their businesses and starting to trade,” he said.
“There will be more detail about that coming out as we move forward towards the 5th of June.
“We’re also aiming to make sure that people are ready to be able to commence trading on the 5th of June so they’re ready for the long weekend.”
Mr Marshall attributed the easing of restrictions to SA’s success in limiting the spread of COVID-19, with only one new case recorded in the state over the past 28 days.
“This is all about accelerating local economic and jobs recovery, while rewarding South Australians for their outstanding efforts over many weeks in helping stop the spread of this virus,” he said.
“We know thousands of small businesses and their employees have been doing it incredibly tough recently, through no fault of their own, and my Government is committed to working with them to ensure they get back to business as quickly and as safely as possible.”
But Health Minister Stephen Wade urged South Australians against complacency.
“Whilst the return of indoor dining and the option of having a drink with your meal is a welcome step towards normality, we must not become complacent about the ongoing need to protect ourselves and each other from COVID-19,” he said.
“Other countries have experienced second waves of coronavirus infections after seemingly having it beat and other states in Australia are still recording both new cases and community transmission.”
Opposition spokesman Stephen Mullighan said while it might be welcome news for restaurants and cafes “it is bitterly disappointing for the hundreds of hotels, pubs and clubs across South Australia that they are forced to keep their doors closed for yet another two weeks”.
“This glaring inconsistency is keeping thousands of South Australians out of work for another two weeks,” he said.
“Steven Marshall needs to explain why there is one rule for restaurants and cafes and another rule for venues which essentially are the same.
“It is becoming a real frustration for members of the community that they see inconsistencies with how the restrictions are being applied across South Australia.”
It comes after hoteliers on Tuesday pleaded to be allowed to reopen for at least 50 patrons each ahead of the June long weekend, warning financially stricken pubs will soon hit the wall.
Urging Premier Steven Marshall to move forward the sector’s June 8 reopening date, Australian Hotels Association state chief Ian Horne said up to 20 per cent of SA’s pubs would be wiped out by the pandemic’s economic hit within a year.
The Advertiser’s Kickstart campaign, launched today, examines jobs recovery in a COVID-safe economy.
Mr Horne called for a June 5 reopening, with social-distancing and hygiene regimes, for up to 50 patrons.
He wanted larger capacity city pubs to be allowed up to 50 people apiece in segmented bars, restaurants and other separate areas.
Mr Marshall on Tuesday night said he wanted to open up pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes as soon as possible but in a sustainable, profitable fashion and without undoing the significant health success tackling the coronavirus.
Stressing the importance of following expert health advice, Mr Horne said the industry had asked for “a more generous interpretation” than the planned 20-patron capacity after the long weekend in ongoing talks with SA Health and state authorities.
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“The longer hotels are unable to trade in any meaningful way … there’ll be more casualties. There’s an accumulation of debt and people’s cash is being chewed up by just the normal cost of maintaining a premises,” Mr Horne said.
“Let’s use the long weekend as the starting point to lift people’s spirits. No one should underestimate the threat to our industry, which is overwhelmingly small, medium and family-based businesses.
“We’ve survived world wars and the Great Depression but this is probably the single biggest social and economic challenge the hotel industry’s ever faced.”
Hospitality has been the state’s hardest hit jobs sector by the coronavirus pandemic, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released Tuesday show, with almost one in three jobs lost since March 14.
Myer to reopen second store
Myer’s Marion store will reopen tomorrow, nearly a week after it recommenced trading at its Tea Tree Plaza outlet.
The decision means only the retail giant’s Rundle Mall store remains closed to face-to-face trade.
Services including beauty appointments and intimate apparel, suit and shoe fittings will remain suspended to reduce close contact.
Myer has reopened 21 of its 60 stores after closing outlets nationwide on March 29 standing down 10,000 staff.
Its TTP store at Modbury opened last Saturday.