WE all know we can head back to the pubs in the NT today. But do you know whether a bowl of chips is counted as a meal? Or whether you can share a cheeky pash with a stranger? Find out here:
WHEN can we go to the pub today and how long can we stay there?
From noon. You are allowed to stay in any one venue for up to two hours at a time.
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WHAT are we allowed to do within stage two restrictions?
Stage two allows Territorians to:
■ Serve and consume food or beverages in a shopping centre food court.
■Operate and attend restaurants, cafes.
■ Operate and attend a bar, sports or RSL club (alcohol allowed with the consumption of food), excluding gaming activities.
■ Participate in organised training activities for sporting clubs and teams.
■ Operate or attend an indoor market.
■ Operate or attend a beauty therapy salon for (non facial) services, such as nails, massage and tanning.
■ Operate or attend a studio that provides yoga, pilates, Zumba, barre, dance classes.
■ Operate or attend physical training activities indoors such as Cross Fit.
■ Operate and attend a gymnasium.
■ Visit a public library or a toy library, or indoor playground.
■ Operate and attend a place used for religious worship.
■ Attend an art gallery, museum, public memorial, public historic site, zoo or wildlife facility.
CAN I have a cheeky pash with a stranger while out drinking for the first time in months?
Social distancing rules are still in place, meaning a minimum space of 1.5m must be between you and other people that aren’t from your household.
If you need to be facing another person and closer than 1.5m apart, the NT Government is advising you to “minimise contact to less than 15 minutes”.
Take out of that what you will.
ARE there any new hygiene rules in place?
Be sensible and follow the rules that have been in place this entire time.
Avoid touching your face and cough and sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow.
Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before and after any contact with surfaces such as playground equipment that is used by more than one person.
Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched by more than one person – e.g. phones, door handles, benches, equipment, toys etc. Avoid sharing cups, utensils and cigarettes.
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CAN we go to the casino or a gaming venue?
No. Gaming venues will reopen in stage three which is anticipated to be on June 5.
MY eyebrows are not good enough to be able to be seen in public. If I wear a face mask, can I get them done immediately?
Your best bet? Get the tweezers out yourself or stay in because you can’t get them done professionally until June 5. Or even better? Embrace the au natural look.
PATRONS can only have drinks with food now. What if a hotel previously didn’t serve meals all day, and had a several-hour gap between lunch and dinner? Will pubs be serving food all day now so that patrons can pop in at any time?
The rule is you must have a meal with your alcohol. It’s up to the venue whether they choose to serve food in hours they don’t normally, allow you to bring your own food in or close during that time.
CAN people mingle at pubs, while maintaining social distancing, or do they have to stay at seated tables?
No. In order to maintain social distancing you have to be seated at a table at the venue. Of course, there’s no one stopping you chatting to strangers while you’re waiting in a line to order … provided you’re 1.5m apart.
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DOES food have to be purchased in the same transaction as alcohol?
Put simply, no. But you do have to be eating a meal. Since you’ll be sitting down anyway it’ll be pretty clear whether you’ve got food in front of you. So if you’re at a venue where you order food and booze separately, you’ll likely just have to tell them where you’re sitting.
IS a bowl of chips enough to buy a beer?
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has said a packet of salt and vinegar chips is not a meal but a bowl of hot chips is. It’s up to the venue to decide whether they’re allowing smaller purchases though.
IF I buy a bowl of chips and a beer, and I eat all my chips and leave one chip behind, does this mean I can keep buying beers until my two hours are up?
Come on folks, this is all about being sensible. If you’ve ordered a tiny bowl of chips, eat them in five minutes and then proceed to have 20 beers, chances are the pub is going to tell you to rack off anyway — their RSA laws are still in place after all!
WHEN can I just buy a beer without having to buy food too?
June 5 at this stage.
TIPS to get the most from your pub return
HOW will pubs monitor when people have been at a venue for two hours?
All of the messaging sent to businesses is that customers should not stay longer than two hours. But if you’ve been sitting there for more than an hour with no food, chances are they’ll realise you’re close to your limit.
HOW will venues partnered with food trucks operate? And how will they know if they’ve got food paired with alcohol?
Again, since you’ve got to be sitting down to enjoy a venue, they’re going to be able to tell if you’ve got food or not.
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