Coronavirus Australia: What you can and can’t do this Easter long weekend

Australians have been warned to stay at home this Easter or risk hefty fines. Here’s what you can and can’t do this weekend.

The Easter long weekend usually means Aussies packing up the car and heading up and down the coast, big family gatherings, or going to church.

But this year, with tough restrictions in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the list of things we can do to celebrate the holiday is surprisingly short – as evidenced by a list shared by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

The Premier took to Facebook last night to share a post reading: “Here’s a list of places in Victoria you should travel to this Easter”.

Accompanying the post wasn’t a list of fun activities, but a blank sheet, reiterating the simple message federal and state governments and authorities have been hammering home all week: stay at home.

“The coronavirus means this Easter will be different and we will be staying at home,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last night in his Easter message to the nation.

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Here's a list of places in Victoria you should travel to this Easter:

Posted by Dan Andrews on Wednesday, April 8, 2020

“It’s important because we cannot undo the tremendous progress we have made together in recent times. So this Easter we are staying at home. Don’t travel. Don’t go away.”

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt warned yesterday, “the virus does not take a holiday”.

Australians have been warned police will be out in force to fine anyone caught “deliberately and blatantly” breaching social distancing, mass gathering or self-isolation rules.

When asked this morning what Aussies are allowed to do this long weekend on the Today show, NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Mick Corboy’s answer was simple: stay home and “eat chocolate”.

“If you’re not going out for exercise, medical, going shopping, those essential things that we’ve been telling people over and over again, if you’re not going out for them, just stay home. There is no other reason to be out on the roads.”

With that in mind, here’s what you can and can’t do this long weekend.

CAN I GO TO THE BEACH?

If your trip to the beach involves travel – no, you can’t.

If you’re heading to the beach for exercise and you’re not a local, you should be staying home as well.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said beaches there would be “heavily patrolled” by police.

CAN I GO TO MY HOLIDAY HOUSE?

If you’re heading to your holiday house, the advice differs depending on which state you’re in – but the message is the same: if you don’t have to leave your primary place of residence, then don’t.

In Queensland, Ms Carroll warned people not to travel to their holiday homes – with the rule being people need to remain at their principal place of residence.

“Technically if it’s non-essential travel, it’s not complying … you should not be on the road,” she said.

“On the weekend, we have fined people for blatantly just being out and about, going for a ride or a drive, which is clearly non-essential travel – it’s happened time and time again.”

In Victoria, police deputy commissioner Shane Patton told 3AW in a radio interview on Tuesday if you have more than one ordinary place of residence, you can move freely between those places.

“You got a holiday house? You can go to that,” he said – but he ruled out taking a caravan away for the long weekend.

“If you’re towing a caravan (on your Easter break) that’s not going to a normal or ordinary place of residence. I wouldn’t be thinking that going camping or towing a trailer anywhere is an acceptable form of behaviour.”

In Western Australia, police roadblocks will be in place to stop anyone other than locals from travelling to coastal towns.

“Don’t be an idiot and don’t take unnecessary risks,” Premier Mark McGowan told residents earlier this week.

“If you try, and get caught, you will face a large fine – so don’t take the risk, stay home and stay safe.”

And in NSW, Comm Corboy said that no-one is exempt from the rules, following Arts Minister Don Harwin being fined for staying at his Pearl Beach holiday home.

Comm Corboy said police would be “out there” and “highly visible” on NSW roads, and would be going into tourist areas up and down the coast to make sure “there aren’t people in caravans and people with families going into those communities to get away and take advantage of the break”.

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CAN I TRAVEL INTERSTATE?

Most states and territories have closed their borders – meaning you can’t travel, even if you wanted to.

Queensland, WA, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania have shut their borders to almost all Australians, except for necessary health workers, people bringing vital supplies or those needing to cross the border on compassionate grounds.

With police at the borders, you’ll likely be turned around without a good reason.

CAN I CATCH UP WITH FAMILY?

Big family gatherings are a definite no.

Federal Government advice is to keep visits to family and friends to a minimum, with limits on any gatherings that exceeds two people (not including those you live with) limited.

“I know that will be very painful for people to not be together with parents and grandparents. But this is a matter of life and death,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said, of people not being allowed to celebrate Easter in the ways they normally would.

There are fines of anywhere from $1000 (depending on state) in place for individuals who break social distancing rules.

CAN I GO TO CHURCH?

Under Federal Government rules, indoor places of worship have been closed for more than two weeks now – though most churches are set to live-stream their services over the long weekend.

In his Easter address, the PM said for Christians, “not being able to gather does not diminish the hope that we have through this important Easter period”.

“This year, we will live out our faith by doing the right thing. That means staying at home, making sure we’re checking on our neighbours and supporting our communities and families, our friends,” he said.

“That’s what living our faith is all about.”

CAN I STILL BUY GROCERIES?

Luckily if your Easter egg or hot cross bun supply is running low, you’re still allowed to head out to the grocery shop.

But, major supermarkets Woolworths and Coles have warned they’ll (as usual) be busy over the long weekend, and shoppers will need to wait in cordoned-off queues outside the store so that social distancing rules inside can be maintained.

Security guards and police officers are expected to manage the queues at Woolworths at peak times, and enforce the 1.5 metre social-distancing rules.

At Coles, staff will be at store entrances to provide assistance and let customers know when they’re allowed to come in.

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Expect to wait in queues outside supermarkets over the weekend so that social distancing measures can be maintained.

SUPERMARKET OPERATING HOURS

• Good Friday:

Woolworths: Only stores in NSW and the ACT will trade from 11am until 5pm.

Coles: Stores in the ACT, NSW and NT will open between 11am and 5pm. Stores in all other states will close.

• Easter Saturday:

Woolworths: Stores in SA will trade between 7am and 6pm. In WA, stores will trade between 8am and 9pm. Stores in all other states and territories will trade between 7am and 10pm.

Coles: Stores in every state except for QLD and WA will open from 7am to 10pm. In WA, metro stores will open 8am to 5pm and for regional stores and all Coles in QLD, check your local store for opening hours as they may vary.

• Easter Sunday:

Woolworths: In NSW and the ACT stores will open between 9am and 6pm. In Victoria, NT and Tasmania, they’ll open between 8am and 8pm. In QLD, between 8am and 6pm. In SA, metro stores will close and regional stores will open from 8am to 8pm. And in WA, metro stores will open between 11am and 5pm and regional stores between 8am and 8pm.

Coles: In the ACT and NSW stores will operate between 9am and 6pm. In Victoria, Tasmania and the NT, they’ll open between 7am and 10pm. SA metro stores will close, but CBD and regional stores will open between 11am and 5pm. In WA, metro stores will operate between 11am and 5pm. For regional stores in WA and all stores in QLD, check your local store for opening hours as they may vary.

• Easter Monday:

Woolworths: Stores in NSW, Victoria, NT, Tasmania and the ACT will open between 8am and 10pm. In QLD and WA, they’ll operate between 8am and 6pm. And in SA, metro stores will open between 11am and 5pm and regional stores between 8am and 8pm.

Coles: In all states but SA, QLD and WA, stores will open 8am to 10pm. In SA, CBD/metro stores will open 11am to 5pm, and regional stores will open 8am to 10pm. In WA, stores will operate 8am to 6pm. And in QLD, shoppers are again advised to check their local store for trading hours.