Coronavirus social distancing restrictions drop to 2 square-metres per person in small venues

Scott Morrison has announced the further easing of coronavirus lockdown measures.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has lessened social distancing restrictions as Australia continues to battle the coronavirus crisis​

Scott Morrison has announced the further easing of coronavirus measures, allowing one person per two square-metres in the biggest loosening of social distancing rules yet.

Speaking in Canberra on Friday after a National Cabinet meeting, Mr Morrison said the government had received advice from a panel of medical experts, who had agreed the measure would be safe.

“That means for much smaller premises that would have otherwise been trying to stick to a four square-metre rule arrangement, this just gives a bit more room for them to be taking more patrons and that has been considered by the AHPPC (Australian Health Protection Principal Committee),” he said.

“So where jurisdictions choose to do that, it is up to them to make those decisions.”

Mr Morrison advised the new restriction had already been taken up in Western Australia and Tasmania.

“Previously there had been a more formal rule around four square-metres and I think it just shows the flexibility that is now being able to be built into the response based on the experience that everybody is having and is being shared,” he said.

The medical panel will also develop a road map for the reopening of entertainment venues, which Mr Morrison said would allow the industry to begin planning major productions and events again, following his announcement of a $250 million funding package to help the sector off its knees.

“At the announcement we made yesterday, one of the key issues that still we knew needed to be addressed was that they need greater certainty about when they can start planning events for,” he said.

“Whether that‘s 12 months away or six months away, so the plan will be addressing what may be possible for venues three months from now, six months from now, nine months, 12 months and so on, and that will assist those producers and other event planners with getting moving and, as a result, being able to access and seek support through the entertainment support package that we announced yesterday.”

With the good news came a sombre reminder from Chief Health Officer Brendan Murphy, who said there would be a risk of new cases “for the foreseeable future”.

“Every day in Australia we have cases in hotel quarantine, mostly in NSW and Victoria because they‘re taking the lion’s share of that hotel quarantine,” he said.

“We‘ve also, as we said, can’t be sure that there isn’t small amounts of virus circulating in parts of the country. So the outbreaks, mini outbreak we have seen in Victoria, is what we predicted, what we planned for when I took to the National Cabinet the plan for reopening, removing restrictions.”

Victoria announced 30 new cases of coronavirus today, as 1300 health officials go door to door to complete testing in identified problem areas.

Mr Murphy said he was not worried about the outbreak, and neither was the Prime Minister.

“That‘s what you’d expect,” he said of the numbers. “That is absolutely what you’d expect as you bring this outbreak under control.

“We may see more such outbreaks, we‘re very likely to more such outbreaks, not just in Victoria – it could be anywhere in the country. We’re prepared, we’re responding and we’re very, very comfortable with the way things are going.”

As cases have spiked in Victoria, and continue to be detected across the country, Australians appear to have resumed panic buying, with Woolworths and Coles forced to re-introduce purchasing limits on toilet paper today.

When asked for comment, the PM had just four words.

“Stop it, it’s ridiculous.”