Vic/SA border restrictions will be lifted from December 1, but other new rules will apply for a fortnight

Border restrictions with Victoria will be completely lifted on Monday night at midnight, but the new interim restrictions have frustrated businesses.

Make-or-break festive season hospitality trade has been “trashed”, while businesses face a grim December after the latest round of coronavirus ban changes, industry figures say.

The official COVID-19 Transition Committee on Friday advised of a new series of interim restrictions to take effect from Tuesday for a fortnight.

Furious business leaders warned the rule changes – announced with zero new virus cases – will destroy struggling retailers, pubs, clubs, restaurants and other licensed venues.

Under the rules, venue capacity will be restricted to one person per 4sq m indoors and double that outdoors. But patron caps will be scrapped from midnight Tuesday after electronic QR codes come into effect. Standing-up drinking is allowed outdoors.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, who authorised the changes as state COVID co-ordinator, said the bans would be reviewed in the hope of a further easing on December 14.

Bigger changes were anticipated but the Parafield cluster forced the “mid steps”, he said.

However, a furious Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne said the changes had extinguished the industry’s “one hope”. He said the festive season was “trashed”.

“This will have a significant impact on all venues in hospitality – from the small bar to the larger suburban pub,” he said.

Urging taxpayer support, “disappointed” Business SA chief Martin Haese warned “some local businesses are in store for a dire December”.

“Most businesses will continue to operate at 25 per cent capacity, which simply is not financially viable,” he said.

Josh Baker, whose venues include bars Whistle & Flute and Part Time Lover, said he was “deeply confused”.

Premier Steven Marshall said the health advice was clear. “We listen to the expert health advice,” he said.

“It is what has kept the whole state safe and it has kept our economy strong.

“We are still not out of the woods when it comes to this cluster, so we are listening to the health advice, and it is unequivocal that we need to keep these restrictions in place for a further two weeks.”

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier advised home gatherings to stay capped at 10. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt.

Premier Steven Marshall said “it is unequivocal that we need to keep these restrictions in place for a further two weeks”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier advised home gatherings to stay capped at 10 after data showed an almost 100 per cent “hit rate” of infections involving 15 relatives linked to the cluster.

She urged masks to be worn in public and to work from from home if possible.

Professor Spurrier said investigations also centred on whether ventilation contributed to a Peppers medi-hotel security guard – the cluster source who also worked at the Woodville Pizza bar – spreading the disease to a married couple, aged in their 20s, who had returned from Nepal and were quarantined at the medi-hotel.

Asked if she planned next week to pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate successfully containing the latest outbreak Prof Spurrier said: “I think I will keep it on ice for just a little bit longer.”

Prof Nicola Spurrier hands out masks in Rundle Mall on Friday. Picture: Keryn Stevens

The cluster stands at 31, including a female Woodville High Year 9 student who did not quarantine despite visiting the hotspot pizza shop.

More than 5000 people are in quarantine while a woman in her 50s, is stable in hospital.

Senior government sources said Prime Minister Scott Morrison would likely agree to Mr Marshall’s formal request to extend a ban on international arrivals until December 7.

SA Police’s Task Force Protect into the lockdown, will report back “within days”.