Coronavirus: Bans on clubbing could ease within days as authorities consider ‘day 16’ traveller COVID-19 checks

SA’s top cop says dancing bans may soon ease after our top doctor said night-life restrictions could linger for months.

Some nightclubs have been approved with strict conditions including a cap on numbers. Picture Dean Martin

Dancing and drinking alcohol bans could be soon relaxed, the state’s top cop has suggested, as authorities investigate new coronavirus traveller checks,

South Australia hit a million virus tests on Tuesday as the COVID-19 transition committee kept border restrictions and other public activity rules.

But Police Commissioner Grant Stevens flagged a relaxing of nightclub rules as officials investigate subjecting travellers to a mandatory virus test two days after leaving a medi-hotel but not extending quarantine.

Mr Stevens, who authorises any rule changes as state COVID co-ordinator, said the committee discussed “the combination of alcohol and dancing in high risk environments”.

The Advertiser revealed dancing while drinking alcohol at approved public venues will remain policed for months as authorities monitor vaccine successes.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said indoor activities in poorly ventilated and crowded areas remained the “highest risk for super spreading events”.

Venues can submit special management plans with safeguards including a cap of 200 patrons, ticketed events, a 50 per cent capacity limit and no mosh pits.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said environments like nightclubs remained very high risk. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Since December, four unnamed nightclubs have been approved with such strict conditions.

Another two are being assessed but a further two have been rejected.

Speaking after Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Stevens said while no immediate changes were approved, he flagged rules could be eased as the issue remains “on the agenda”.

The committee meets again later this week.

Changes will not involve unrestricted freedoms but likely will allow approved nightclubs to increase capacity and densities.

“We didn’t land on a time frame for any specific changes but we did talk about what factors we’re looking for that will give us the ability to relax some of these restrictions on certain activities, particularly nightclubs,” he said.

“There was a conversation about the process for nightclubs obtaining approvals for a COVID management plan to run their venue in a certain way.

“It is a constant topic of conversation because we understand the community desire for this particular type of activity to occur and the business owners who are heavily involved in this.

“They’re looking for some relief as well and we were looking for ways to provide that as safely as possible.”

Australian Hotels Association boss Ian Horne criticised the rules, arguing that SA Health had approved “40,000 at the football, thousands at the tennis and tens of thousands at the upcoming Fringe”.

Premier Steven Marshall said the dancing policies remained in line with health advice. Picture: Mike Burton

“Yet they remain unable to determine any safe way to allow more than 200 people to dance at a licences venue,” he said.

“Extraordinary in circumstances where the same licensed venues can allow up to 1000 people to dance together – so long as alcohol is not available to their patrons.”

He said he hoped the committee “looked past” SA Health objections and base decisions on space and density “rather than artificial numbers that have no evidentiary basis”.

“The music and entertainment sector makes a significant contribution to the creation of jobs and the social and economic wellbeing of the state and deserves far greater support and attention,” he said.

Mr Stevens said interstate dancing came with more restrictions, especially around density.

He said SA had “the greatest level of freedoms” but that “comes at a price in terms of how we manage certain high risk activities”.

Speaking earlier, Premier Steven Marshall said he would “love to see dancing allowed back” as he admitted “some restrictions … are causing angst”.

“What I want is South Australia to remain very, very healthy and our economy to be strong, so we’re going to just continue to listen to the experts,” he said.

“I know that dancing is something that many people are lobbying me on at the moment.

“We’re looking at all of the evidence with regards to this and when we’ve got something to announce I promise you we’ll get it out as quickly as we possibly can.

“(We) don’t want to keep any of those restrictions in place for one day longer than they need to be.”

SA authorities are monitoring two ill patients, one in NSW and another in Victoria, who tested positive after leaving hotel quarantine.

Both cases remain under investigation to check for old infections or if they fell sick in quarantine.

Australia’s medical expert panel, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, is considering new advice for mandatory “day 16” tests for returning travellers, which will form new SA Health advice for the committee, and ultimately Mr Stevens.

Tests currently occur on the first, fifth and 12 days in hotel quarantine. Testing requirements are due to end for greater Sydney travellers at midnight on Saturday.

“I’m not saying that’s going to happen at this point, but it is certainly on the table for discussion,” Mr Stevens said.

“We don’t want to put more impositions on people if there’s not a scientific basis for doing so.”

Mr Stevens said SA officials had confidence in Victoria’s testing and tracing systems.

He also said extensive testing on any “glitches” with a new facial recognition home quarantine app – revealed by The Advertiser last year – would establish if it would become operational.

“If there are glitches I’ll be confident that we identify those, whether that’s a factor that prevents its rollout or something that needs to be modified, we will work through that process,” he said.

Originally published as Coronavirus: Bans on clubbing could ease within days as authorities consider ‘day 16’ traveller COVID-19 checks