SA dancing and drinking ban to be lifted, border restrictions for Greater Melbourne eased from midnight Thursday night

Fringe and Adelaide Festival organisers and artists have reason to dance in the streets, with restrictions on dancing to be relaxed and the border with Victoria opened.

Dancing while drinking alcohol will on Thursday night return to hundreds of South Australian pubs and clubs for the first time in almost a year as the state is poised to again welcome Melbourne visitors.

In a series of decisions hailed as a major morale and economic boost to events including the Fringe, the COVID-19 transition committee on Wednesday advised patrons can return to dance floors, under various rules, from midnight and the Victorian border could reopen.

A new coronavirus case emerged on Wednesday, as SA Health revealed two more travellers had mutant strains.

Drinking revellers can dance unrestricted in venues with up to 200 people, under legal directions to be authorised today by Police Commissioner Grant Stevens - 339 days after dancing was banned at the pandemic’s height.

The police-enforced rules will cap dance floors at 50 people in a special area in pubs, clubs or licensed venues with crowds of between 201 and 999 people. Venues with more than 1000 patrons must have SA Health approved management plans to allow dancing.

The committee also advised border restrictions on greater Melbourne will be lifted at 12.01am and travellers will not need to test.

Travellers can also leave quarantine but anyone who visited Victoria Health specified high-risk “tier one” locations must remain in isolation.

Mr Stevens, pictured, who is also state COVID co-ordinator, said tomorrow was the 19th day in almost a year of no travel bans with any state or territory. He said other venue rules must be followed such as social distancing, QR code check ins, marshals and venues to maintain half capacity.

He said the new rules, which had been debated for a few weeks amid mounting industry calls, were “another step towards getting back to normal” and which helped mitigate risks of virus spread.

“If people do the right thing, if they help us do the right thing, then our presence is very light,” he said.

“We are not there to look for a literal breach … and take harsh action. We understand there will be peaks and flows but it’s pretty clear when the wrong thing is being done.”

The Garden of Unearthly Delights opening night. 19 February 2021. Picture Dean Martin

Licensed venues were closed on March 23 last year but dancing rules have eased in limited capacity at private events or approved venues.

Australian Hotels Association boss Ian Horne welcomed the changes but was seeking clarification on the “complex rules”.

“Dancing is an important social and economic contributor to the well-being of many,” he said.

A Tourism Commission spokeswoman said Victorian visitors were our biggest market worth a $1 billion a year.

A “very pleased” chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, said the caps helped contact tracing and changes were possible as the Melbourne Airport outbreak had stabilised. She urged people to not party while ill.

Premier Steven Marshall said the changes would be “huge relief”.

SA Health said a fifth day test found a traveller in his 40s with an old infection. She said there were six patients in total with a UK strain and one with a South African variant.

Fringe performers (L-R) Felicia Lannan from Boss Squad, Christopher Politis from Matador, Joanna Arul Tropeano from Jackson Vs Jackson, Timomatic from Disco Wonderland and Bettie Bombshell from The After Hours Cabernet Club. They are pictured in The Octagon in Gluttony. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

New rules to make a song and dance about

Fringe and Adelaide Festival organisers and artists had double the reasons to be dancing in the streets last night.

They were celebrating the lifting of a ban on dancing and the “miracle” opening of the Victorian border, freeing up artists and arts fans to take part in the festivals.

At least $200,000 worth of tickets booked by Melbourne visitors had been in jeopardy with the COVID-19 border restrictions and Victorian artists were also in limbo as organisers sought hundreds of special travel exemptions for them to enter South Australia.

Adelaide Festival executive director Elaine Chia hailed the easing of rules as a “huge miracle” ahead of Friday’s opening.

She said up to a third of audiences for events such as Adelaide Writer’s Week were from interstate.

“It’s been an overwhelming sense of relief, which quickly turned into a sense of joy,” she said.

“To have certainty two days out from our opening is a huge miracle, really.”

Adelaide Fringe director and chief executive Heather Croall also welcomed the new rules. But in the wake of overcrowding and dancing concerns, she implored audiences to “still do the right thing” and follow rules.

“Restrictions may be eased and more festival-goers will be allowed into the state but it is important that people do not become complacent,” she said.

After a review with SA Police on Wednesday, SA Health said it had asked Fringe organisers to maintain entry and exit points to ensure the smooth flow of crowds.