Melbourne retail stores, eateries told they can prepare for midweek reopening
Melbourne retailers and eateries were given the green light to prepare for reopening earlier than originally planned, but a growing coronavirus cluster in the city’s northern suburbs might halt the plan.
HS Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from HS Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Melbourne retailers and eateries have been told to prepare for a midweek reopening, after 12 weeks of hard-lockdown closure.
The Saturday Herald Sun can reveal that major companies were briefed this week that from midnight Sunday, workers could start restacking shelves and clean stores for a reopening as early as Wednesday or Thursday, a few days ahead of the government’s road map to easing restrictions.
But hope is fading for the early reopening as a virus cluster in the northern suburbs continues to grow.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Saturday warned Melburnians caution was needed.
While he was “still optimistic that we will be able to have positive things to say” he gave Victorians a “note of caution”.
“We do hope to get to that point but with so many thousands of tests that are still being processed, we need to see the results of those tests.”
Mr Andrews said the key point of focus would be on whether new northern suburbs cases were linked or mystery cases.
“If they are not linked in any way, that speaks to the fact that there may be more virus in that northern part of the city than we would be comfortable with,” he said.
The industries were confident on Friday cash registers would be cranking by midweek, well ahead of a Christmas rush that would boost the economy by billions of dollars.
Strict controls will be set for customer numbers, such as the one person per 4sq m rule in place earlier in the year, while mask-wearing will be mandatory.
Premier Daniel Andrews is set to provide details of the plan on Sunday, in a major announcement on the easing of restrictions.
Only one new case was detected on Friday, bringing the number of active virus infections to fewer than 100 in the metro area and just two in country Victoria.
Mr Andrews said: “We are very well placed to make some significant announcements on Sunday, and they will be a testament to the absolute determination of the Victorian community to see this thing off”.
Small Business Minister Jaala Pulford said she hoped retailers were in a position to reopen imminently.
“We’re in this position because Victorians have stuck to the plan,” she said. “We’ve been working closely with retail organisations to plan for a safe and orderly opening for staff and shoppers alike.”
Major stores are also bracing for a potential worker bubble, meaning staff could not move between premises owned by the same company.
However, Australian Retailers Association chief Paul Zahra said his industry was “advocating for some impractical requirements to be clarified or removed”.
“For example, workforce bubbles, which have been communicated as part of previous restrictions, are not practical as part of this next stage for all retailers,” Mr Zahra said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was “obviously keen” to see Mr Andrews announce Victoria’s reopening plan on Sunday.
“The shutdown in Melbourne has had obviously a terrible impact on Victorians, on their mental health and on their economy,” he said after the National Cabinet meeting on Friday.
The expected retail and hospitality kickstart comes after months of lockdown that have devastated the economy and left thousands of Victorians out of work.
But it is hoped this move will be a vital pre-Christmas shot in the arm for retailand hospitality businesses. Pent-up demand from people who have been able to ride out the crisis and who have kept their jobs is expected.
New Zealand’s reopening after its lockdowns resulted in a huge spike in trading figures compared to the same period in previous years.
A massive retail injection to the heart of the CBD will also rejuvenate it, with stores such as Myer and David Jones a major part of the Christmas rush in Victoria.
While retailers maintain they need a decent amount of notice and time to safely reopen, restaurant and catering Australia chief Wes Lambert said the hospitality industry was ready to go.
“We’re hopeful that if the case numbers continue on their downward trend that the Premier will announce an immediate reopening of hospitality businesses from midnight on Sunday, so that they can get back to business,” he said.
RELATED:
MELBOURNE’S NEW RESTRICTIONS EXPLAINED
ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING ROLLED OUT FOR NORTHERN SUBURBS CLUSTER