COVID NSW: Berejiklian faces wedding, funeral restrictions pressure

Drinkers can now stand at the front bar for beer again — but hospitality bosses are still waiting for the easing of weddings and funerals restrictions.

Punters rejoiced at being able to have a beer while standing at the front bar yesterday, but hospitality bosses have criticised the Berejiklian government for delaying a foreshadowed easing of restrictions for weddings and funerals.

Senior ministers are now set to confront the Premier about when capacity limits of 300 people will be lifted, as they push for more restrictions to go.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet yesterday welcomed the regained freedom to enjoy a drink at the front bar, downing a Guinness for St Patrick’s Day.

But the pair are now pushing for further easing of restrictions – including “consistency” about where people can dance, and removing capacity limits on weddings and funerals.

Siobhan D'Costa and Alex McManus enjoy a Guinness without having to be seated at a table on St Patrick’s Day. Picture: Toby Zerna

St Patrick’s Day celebrations at The Mercantile Hotel in Sydney. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Mr Barilaro said the government had made a commitment to re-evaluate the weddings and funeral caps in line with stand-up drinking.

“I can’t see why we wouldn’t be honouring what we said and that is lifting the caps for weddings and funerals,” he said.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said he is “working towards” lifting the caps for weddings by the weekend.

The pair want the situation resolved by next Wednesday.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian last month all but confirmed the 300-person cap could be removed in line with stand-up drinking.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet mark the further easing of COVID-19 restrictions for indoor venues, pubs and clubs during St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Miramare Group’s Paul Severino said his clients were relying on those comments for bigger events this weekend.

“This is just continued disappointment,” he said.

Punters across Sydney revelled with their new-found freedom to drink while standing inside, with plenty downing a pint for St Patrick’s Day.

The new rules were cheered on by Caiomhe Hearne, bartender at PJ Gallaghers Irish pub.

“Everyone's excited, there’s more people, the buzz is back. This is the busiest Tuesday we’ve had in a while,” she said.

Meanwhile a full-capacity Lyric Theatre yesterday held the premiere for the Australian production of Hamilton, which original US producer Jeffrey Seller called “a momentous occasion”.

Mr Seller said it was “made all the more significant by the fact that this is the only production of Hamilton to be playing in the world right now”.

The Premier, who visited the Lyric Theatre ahead of the opening production, said there is “nowhere else on the planet at the moment that is open enough during the pandemic to be able to host such a production”.

Aussie aid mission to stricken PNG

AU is urgently rushing aid to COVID-stricken Papua New Guinea to help it fight a growing crisis that experts say is likely “10 to 20 times” worse than official numbers indicate.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had asked the EU to divert one million AstraZeneca vaccines Australia had already contracted for, but not yet received, to PNG to help them battle a crisis which has produced as many positive diagnoses in the past two weeks as the country has seen since the start of the pandemic. The PM also ­announced the donation of medical and PPE equipment, including one million surgical masks, 200,000 P95 respirator masks, 1000 gowns, 100,000 pairs of goggles, 100,000 pairs of gloves, 100,000 bottles of sanitiser and 200 non-invasive ventilators.

“The escalation of issues with the virus in Papua New Guinea presents very real risks to Australia as well,” Mr Morrison said yesterday, noting that a new cap would be introduced on passenger arrivals, pre-departure testing from PNG would be ramped up and FIFO flights from hard-hit mining areas would be restricted.

“You FI or you FO. If you’re there, you stay. If you’re here, you stay. We cannot risk more people going into those areas and then coming back to Australia,” Mr Morrison said.