Businesses finally get a break with relaxed COVID-19 restrictions

Businesses on the Gold Coast are finally seeing the light at the end of a dark tunnel with COVID-19 restrictions easing over the weekend.

BUSINESSES on the Gold Coast are finally seeing some light at the end of the very dark coronavirus tunnel with restrictions easing over the weekend.

Retail outlets on the Gold Coast have gone from being ghost towns to thriving hubs with Queenslanders now allowed to travel within 50km of their house for non-essential outings from midnight on Friday.

Luke Turner is the owner of Sanctum Kitchen and he said it was a relief the stores around his business in Harbour Town Premium Outlets had been able to reopen.

“For the last four weeks there has been nobody, we have been surviving on the staff and security guards,” he said.

COVID-19 restrictions around shopping and go out in public have been relaxed. Sanctum owner Luke Turner at Harbour Town Premium Outlets. Picture: Jerad Williams

“We have been down plus 80 per cent, there has been literally nobody here.”

During the bleak month for sales, Mr Turner said the business was keeping its head just above water but didn’t want to shut and put staff in a tough position.

“We have full-time staff that need to be paid, if the business is turning over nothing it’s tough for us to pay them,” he said.

“We have a lot of staff on visas, so if they’re not working they have no income coming in and they don’t qualify for any incentives or support.

“The only way to keep them going is by the business to keep going.”

Only a few hours into operation on Saturday morning, Mr Turner could already see an influx in sales.

“This morning we have had a queue of couple and coffee sales have been good,” he said.

TOP NEWS

First look: Palm Beach’s newest tower

Man allegedly stabbed overnight in Paradise Point

Tamborine school feud returns to court

COVID-19 restrictions around shopping and go out in public have been relaxed. Culture Kings Store manager, Dylan Harris, at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre in Broadbeach. Picture: Jerad Williams

Harbour Town and Pacific Fair prepared for the rush of people with signage reminding customers about social distancing, stores restricting numbers allowed inside and noticeably more security.

With the limits on customers allowed inside shops, some Harbour Town outlets had lines of people waiting before opening.

Famed Pacific Fair shopping mall’s Culture Kings store manager Dylan Harris said business hadn’t returned to normal but was on its way in the right direction.

“It has been better than expected,” he said.

“There were some pretty lean weeks for business before we temporarily closed for two weeks.

“It’s still significantly different to how we were trading prior to the outbreak.”