Coronavirus: NSW falls behind Victoria in relaxing strict restrictions
There is a growing push from the hospitality industry to further relax NSW’s COVID restrictions, the toughest in the nation, as Victoria races ahead with rule changes.
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Victoria is set to pull ahead of NSW in relaxing some coronavirus restrictions, with the southern state’s “smaller venues” set to move to a “one person per two square metres” rule allowing up to a maximum of 50 patrons.
That’s despite NSW cafes, bars, and restaurants still operating under a ‘one person per 4 sqm’ capacity.
Venues in NSW with outdoor areas can operate under the less restrictive “two square metre rule” but only outside.
As Victoria on Sunday marked its 23rd successive day with no COVID-19 cases or deaths, Premier Daniel Andrews said allowing smaller hospitality venues to welcome more patrons “is about jobs and making sure those businesses can survive and repair and rebuild,” and follows “feedback and deep engagement with that sector”.
However the move has sparked pleas from restaurateurs in Sydney to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to subsequently increase the capacity of their venues here.
Celebrity Chef Luke Mangan said doubling capacity under the 2 sqm rule could “create revenue for small venues up to $10,000 per week”.
It is understood the NSW government is close to a decision on relaxing the 4 sqm rule with NSW today recording its 15th day with no locally transmitted coronavirus cases.
On Thursday, Ms Berejiklian said the government would be keeping a “watching brief” on what happens “in the next few days” with view to changing the rules.
The Premier last week also indicated the number of people allowed at a home could increase beyond the current limit of 20, despite saying she didn’t want to “raise expectations”.
Victoria is set to allow households to host a maximum of 30 people for Christmas lunch.
Up to 30 visitors will be allowed into Victorian homes from December 13.
“That is not 30 for lunch and 30 for dinner, it is 30 across the course of the day,” Premier Andrews said.
GLADYS’ SWIPE AT STATE COUNTERPARTS
Ms Berejiklian has slammed her state counterparts for shutting down their economies when they have a few coronavirus cases.
Her swipe, including at fellow Liberal Premier Steven Marshall, came as NSW becomes the first jurisdiction open to all states and territories.
NSW on Sunday recorded its 15th day of no new local coronavirus cases. Eleven cases were detected among returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.
“What’s been demonstrated to me, is that other states are moving very quickly to shut down their entire economy is when they have a couple of cases,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I don’t agree with that position.
“I respect the South Australian premier but I wouldn’t have shut down my state after having that information.”
And when asked about Queensland, Ms Berejiklian accused the Palaszczuk government of “making up stuff as they go”.
“They keep changing the rules, they keep spouting advice I’ve never heard of,” she said.
Speaking in Albury before the lifting of the NSW-Victoria border at 12.01am on Monday, Ms Berejiklian said she was confident in her state’s strategy to live in a COVID-safe way.
“We’ve had the most practice at it and I can appreciate that some of the smaller states haven’t,” she said.
“That is what takes us apart from the rest of the country, our QR codes, our social distancing, all of us in NSW are really making the effort not to let our guard down.
“That’s what will continue to keep us safe and this border opening.”
Ms Berejiklian said the four-month closure was estimated to have cost several million dollars but you could not put a price on “keeping the community safe”.
More than five million cars crossed through the border checkpoint and one million permits were given out during the hard border.
The border also gave NSW police further insight into the transportation of drugs from Victoria and SA into NSW and on to Queensland.
“We have learnt some lessons in relation to that and how people are transporting drugs through heavy transport and hire vehicles,” Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said.
“Our highway patrol and other officers would be working through summer right up and down NSW will be looking for opportunities to keep people of NSW safe.”
VICTORIAN RESTRICTIONS OVERHAULED
The Victorian government has revealed the latest steps out of lockdown with a wave of restrictions to ease, including the number of people residents can welcome into their homes for Christmas.
From midnight on December 13 Victorians will be allowed to welcome up to 30 people into their homes, just in time for Christmas and Hanukkah, Premier Daniel Andrews revealed on Sunday.
“I’m pleased to be able to announce a number of steps that will take us towards that COVID-safe summer,” he said.
“What will Christmas 2020 look like? I can confirm that from 11:59pm on Sunday, December 13, 30 visitors will be allowed to your home. That is 30 across the course of a day. That is not 30 for lunch and 30 for dinner, it is 30 across the course of the day.”
He said that was a “big step forward” and it was hard to imagine getting to this stage four months ago.
“It is also very important to acknowledge that Christmas and those end of year family get-togethers and functions are not just for Christmas Day, they are in that latter part of the year,” he said.
“So 30 people, 30 visitors to your home. Dependants are counted as part of the 30 unless it is a baby under the age of one year.”
The Premier also outlined a spate of other major rule changes to come into effect from midnight Sunday.
From 11:59pm, rules around mask wearing will be loosened and private gatherings will be increased from two visitors per household to 15.
Up to 50 people will be allowed to gather outside.
Premier Andrews fronted the media on Sunday to outline the changes which include scrapping regulations around mandatory mask wearing.
Instead, Victorian residents will be allowed to ditch their mask when they venture outside so long as social distancing is possible.
But they will still be required to wear them indoors and in crowded settings, prompting the Premier to urge Victorians to continue carrying one with them.
“To give you a fairly common sense example … if you go to Bunnings and you are inside the store, you are wearing a mask,” Mr Andrews said.
“If you are in the car park, you do not have to wear your mask.
“But if you are queuing up for a sausage, and you are with other people, and you are simply not keeping a distance (when) you are part of a crowd … you need to put the mask on.”
Other changes include increasing patronage at indoor gyms from 20 to 150 and weddings and funerals will soon be allowed to have 150 attendees – depending on the venue size.
Yesterday there were 0 new cases and 0 lost lives reported. There is 1 active case remaining. We received 10,530 test results – thanks Victoria, #EveryTestHelps. More: https://t.co/pcll7ySEgz #StaySafeStayOpen #COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/yijW3KLf3E
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) November 21, 2020
Outdoor sport has been given the green light with up to 500 people – in groups of 50 – allowed to take part in sporting events.
The same goes for restaurants, cafes, bars with up to 150 allowed indoors, and 300 outdoors. However, only 50 people will be allowed inside smaller venues.
The limits at community centres, galleries, cinemas, libraries and places of worship will increase to groups of no more than 20 people, with the total number of patrons capped at 150.
“Religious ceremonies can take place indoors with 150 people and outdoors with 300 people,” Mr Andrews said.
While 15 people will be allowed to enter someone’s home from midnight Sunday, the Premier said this does not mean Victorians can have 15 people over for lunch and another 15 for dinner.
“That is 15 across the course of the day,” he confirmed.
“What we have seen in Adelaide, what we have seen all over the world, and certainly here some months ago, is that gatherings in the family home can be the most dangerous.”
Outdoor pools can host up to 300 people and 150 swimmer indoors – but there will be density requirements.
The Premier said he will reveal the next wave of changes on December 6, which will give Victorians a better idea of what Christmas will look like.
The latest announcement comes after the state recorded 23 days of no new cases or deaths from COVID-19.
There’s only one known active case left in the state.
TROUBLED TRAVEL SECTOR’S LIFELINE
A lifeline will be thrown to travel agents whose businesses have been shattered by the pandemic, with the federal government working on a relief package to support them until international borders reopen.
The border closures have left many travel agents, who rely on commissions from travel bookings for income, with no option but to shut their businesses.
Others have been surviving on JobKeeper as staff turn up to work to try to recoup some of the $10 billion in cancelled bookings for their customers, Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) chief executive officer Darren Rudd said.
The industry has been in discussions with the federal government over its plight, and has requested a $250 million “bridge back to business” relief package to be distributed to agents as grants.
It can be revealed Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham spoke with the AFTA and individual travel agents last week as the government considers support options.
While many industries are doing it tough, Mr Rudd said it was generally accepted that travel agents — unlike other businesses — were unable to “pivot” or adapt to other work beyond trying to make the most of limited domestic bookings.
And with international travel for Australians unlikely until the end of next year, agents would be among the last businesses to recover, he said.
Industry figures show travel agents employ around 40,000 Australians, of which an estimated 29,000 were women. Around 60 per cent were based in cities, with the rest in the bush and agents worked closely with their local communities and clubs.
Despite the growth in online bookings, around 70 per cent of Australians still used travel agents for both leisure and business, Mr Rudd said.
“We are going have a sector severely hit unless government provides a small package. When COVID hit in March, $10 billion of bookings were cancelled,” Mr Rudd said.
“All agents are doing right now are working to getting back refunds. When you book a ticket, that money goes to supply chain to overseas foreign airlines, tour operators, accommodation.
“It can take a long time to come back. Australian travel agents have basically been working since March with no income. We will lost half of our travel agents if not more unless we get support.”
Mr Rudd said about $6 billion of refunds had been recouped with $4 billion to go, much of it sitting offshore with airlines, hotels, tour operators to “small Greek hotels”.
He said some of those refunds would not be recouped for at least another two years.
Mr Birmingham said travel agents had received about $700 million in COVID-19 support payments such as JobKeeper and small business cash payments of up to $100,000 each.
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