Why NSW Covid restrictions should ease before borders reopen

NSW is weeks from welcoming international tourists to the state but Covid restrictions should be dropped now, industry figures say. Here’s why.

Restrictions in NSW need to be eased before the international border reopens otherwise tourists will be discouraged from coming to Australia, the hospitality industry says.

When the border reopens to tourists on February 21, international visitors flying into Sydney will be required to wear masks inside, be banned from singing and dancing, and forced to sign into almost every indoor venue with a QR code. The restrictions are among a raft of settings set to be eased from the start of March, a week after the border opens.

Restaurant and Catering CEO Wes Lambert said that would discourage tourists from flying here, when we need them most.

NSW Covid rules could discourage international tourists from visiting NSW, hospitality industry figures argue. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

“Why would we want travellers to return under restricted conditions, which will discourage them from coming to the most populous city and most likely their first port of entry into Australia?” he asked.

Mr Lambert said restrictions make people “afraid” of going out.

“It’s time to end the FOGO (Fear of Going Out)” he said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet on Tuesday indicated NSW will still need to wait three weeks before Covid restrictions are next eased, despite hospitalisation rates and daily case numbers remaining lower than expected.

“We’re taking a precautionary approach,” he said. “These rules aren’t in place for the sake of it, they’re there to keep people safe.”

But Fortune of War publican Steven Speed said the “messages are being diluted” and ongoing restrictions have been counter-productive in instilling a sense of safety among Sydneysiders.

“We’re going to welcome people into our country but you walk into a venue and you can’t sing and you can’t dance and you still have one person per two square metre.

“As it stands currently, the messages are being diluted. The message needs to be really clear that if we are going to open up international borders, people need to get back to work and support the CBD also.”

ClubsNSW CEO Josh Landis called for the restrictions to be reconsidered to boost confidence.