Coronavirus: Daniel Andrews passes the pub test as restrictions begin to ease

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will relax the nation’s toughest remaining restrictions in two weeks.

Mike Burston fishing with son Will at Port Melbourne after COVID-19 restrictions were eased. Picture: Aaron Francis

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will relax the nation’s toughest remaining restrictions in two weeks by allowing restaurants, cafes and the dining area of pubs to reopen to limited trading.

As sunseekers ventured out to enjoy the autumn warmth after social-distancing restrictions were wound back, Mr Andrews said restaurants, cafes and the dining area of pubs would be allowed 20 patrons at a time from June 1.

The Victorian government was criticised for being the most cautious jurisdiction after the national cabinet on May 8 agreed to relax restrictions in three stages over the next two months.

But Mr Andrews’s announcement could lead to quicker relaxation of restrictions in Victoria than in other states. He said the number of allowed customers would increase to 50 from June 22.

He flagged venues could have up to 100 patrons by mid-July if Victorians continued to get tested for COVID-19 at record rates, with more than 50,000 tested last week.

“The hospitality industry is one of the pillars of the Victorian economy and has been among the hardest hit,’’ Mr Andrews said.

“Reopening the venues we all love is a critical piece of the puzzle in saving jobs and restoring our local communities.”

Victoria’s March quarter ­financial report revealed the pandemic shutdown, following a devastating bushfire season, had plunged the budget into a deficit of $773m.

More than 127,000 Victorians lost their jobs in April, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with the state’s unemployment rate rising to 6 per cent.

Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien took to Twitter on Sunday to accuse the government of devastating Victoria’s economy in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “So Daniel Andrews will be able to ‘get on the beers’ before most Victorian students can get back to school,” he said. “Yet again Andrews shows his priorities are all wrong.”

Victorian students will begin a staggered return to the classroom from May 26 with schools expected to be back to normal by June 9.

The relaxation of restrictions was announced as a major Melbourne hospital network Epworth Health confirmed two staff members had recorded false positives for the coronavirus before retesting negative.

Group chief executive Lachlan Henderson said the initial positive results triggered pandemic planning, including contact tracing as well as identifying any potential exposure.

“Epworth was contacted on Friday evening and informed two staff had preliminary positive test results,” he said.

“Both staff members were retested on Saturday morning and both returned negative results.”

The total number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus increased by seven on Sunday, bringing the total to 1561. The state’s death toll remains at 18.

On the St Kilda foreshore, Seddon resident Josh Canning took two-year-old Ella to Pony Rides Catani on Sunday.

He said Ella missed pony rides during isolation but the hardest part for her, his wife Alana and their five-month baby daughter, Charli, was being unable to see family members who live minutes from their home. “Charli’s pretty much lived her whole life through the isolation,” he said. The family lives within streets of two aunts, a grandma and an uncle.

Mr Canning said he couldn’t wait to return to large family dinners out, and had already begun making reservations at local restaurants.

“There’s normally 20 of us, we still can’t do that yet,” he said.