Coronavirus distancing restrictions under review for Mother’s Day
What you can do on Mother’s Day is dependent on the state or territory you live in. Here’s what you need to know.
Scott Morrison may have announced a three-stage plan to relax coronavirus restrictions on Friday but the relaxations don’t immediately apply, meaning what you can do on Mother’s Day is dependent on the state or territory you live in. Here is what you can do in your corner of the country.
NSW
If you are a resident of NSW you will not be able to do anything different on Mother’s Day – unless you plan to visit a property auction or open house.
On Thursday morning NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that she would not be modifying or lifting any restrictions on the number of people allowed to gather indoors or outdoors for Mother’s Day – despite detecting just three new cases on Thursday after testing more than 10,000 people.
“I want to manage expectations and say that even if National Cabinet does suggest easing rejections, they won’t be able to be made in time for Mother’s Day,” Ms Berejiklian said on Thursday.
People in NSW will have to abide by current rules surrounding gatherings – households can receive two adult visitors, plus children, at any one time. Gatherings in public of more than two people are also still banned – except if it is for an open house or property auction, which will again be permitted from Saturday.
Queensland
Queensland will more generously ease restrictions on the number of people visiting other households, on Sunday permitting groups of five from one household to visit another.
Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young on Thursday said that there is no limit on the number of people gathering together – so long as one household receives no more than five visitors from another.
Queenslanders will also be permitted to travel further than 50km away from their homes to make visits – but they will not be permitted to move around the community they are visiting. “You can’t go out into that community. You can only go to that residence, visit there, and leave. You can’t go shopping. You can’t go to the beach. You can’t go further in that community,” Dr Young said.
A household can also receive more than one group of visitors in a day – meaning mum might have to spread out her visitors across the day. In line with last week’s easing of restrictions in the state, Queenslanders can also go for single household picnics within 50km of their homes.
Tasmania
Premier Peter Gutwein has announced a slow, staged easing of coronavirus restrictions from Monday, meaning residents of the state will be unable to expand their Mother’s Day celebrations.
From Monday, funeral attendance will rise from 10 to 20 mourners, aged care visits – once a week for two people – will resume, national parks and reserves will open to residents living within 30km, while TAFEs will be open for some practical sessions.
Stage One, from May 18, will see gatherings increase from two to 10 people, including for real estate purposes, religious meetings and weddings, and funerals will be extended to 30 people if outdoors. Gatherings at home will be limited to five people.
Restaurants and cafes, including inside pubs, will open to seating for up to 10 patrons at a time, complying with social distance rules.
From May 25, kindergarten to Year 6 students, as well as Year 11 and 12 students, will return to classroom learning. Aged care visits will be extended to two visitors, once a day.
From June 9, high school students from Years 7 to 10 will return to classrooms. From June 13, horse racing will resume.
Stage Two begins on June 15, with gatherings increased to 20, funerals to 50, accommodation reopened, camping and shack stays will be allowed, and community sport will resume for up to 20 people.
Stage Three begins on July 13, with gatherings rising to up to 100, aged care homes residents allowed five visitors and multiple visits, and full opening of bars will be “considered” and outdoor community sport will resume.
In the meantime, Tasmanians households are only allowed to receive two visitors at a time – but families that live apart are able to visit one another for “social support” reasons.
Victoria
Victoria has not announced a rollback of any restrictions as it grapples with a cluster outbreak of the virus at a meatworks facility in Melbourne.
Residents of the state can currently only leave home for essential shopping, exercise, medical reasons, compassionate grounds and extenuating circumstances.
A two person limit on gatherings inside and outside the home applies and family members who live apart are not permitted to visit one another.
On Thursday Premier Daniel Andrews said he would not be visiting his own mother on Sunday.
“I have no announcements on restrictions,” he said.
“I can tell you what I will be doing on Mother’s Day, I will not be visiting my mum.
“She is in good health, but has underlying health issues. I just wouldn’t do it.
“These are unprecedented times.”
WA
Western Australia is yet to make any specific announcements about Mother’s Day, but has instituted one of the most wide-reaching rollbacks of coronavirus restrictions in the country.
Groups of up to ten are permitted to indulge in outdoor recreational activities like picnics, fishing and boating.
They are also permitted to congregate indoors for non-work events.
The state’s internal travel restrictions – which prohibits travel between nine “regions” of the state will not be lifted in time for Mother’s day. Travel between the regions is only permitted for work, health, or compassionate reasons.
Premier Mark McGowan said further announcements on restriction easing would be announced on Sunday.
SA
South Australia will not lift additional restrictions before Mother’s Day, with Premier Steven Marshall on Friday confirming that from Monday there will be the lifting of restrictions on regional travel, caravan parks, public swimming pools, outdoor dining at restaurants and cafes and face-to-face tutorials at universities and TAFE colleges.
The real estate industry will be kickstarted with the resumption of auctions and open inspections, while grassroots sports and activities will benefit from the reopening of community, youth and RSL halls, and lifting of the ban on outdoor sports training.
Funerals will also be expanded to allow 20 people indoors and 30 outdoors while up to 20 guests will be permitted at weddings.
In the meantime groups in public under ten people are permitted, as are gatherings in the home – so long as the four square metres per person rule is followed.
Outdoor activities are discouraged, but not prohibited as long as social distance is maintained.
NT
Mums in the Northern Territory have the best pick of outdoor activities, as of last weekend allowed to swim in public pools, visit water parks, national parks and play non-contact sport.
A ten person limit on gathering still applies indoors and outdoors – with the exception of wedding and funerals.
It might be worth pushing Mother’s Day back a week in the NT, as from May 15 restrictions on bars, restaurants, cafes and gyms will be lifted, so long as visits take under two hours. Alcohol can only be served from meals.
From June 5 all businesses will reopen and all sport will resume. Travel bans to remote communities may be lifted on June 18 and the last thing to go – at an unspecified date – will be bans on non-essential travel into the territory.
ACT
Canberrans will be permitted to visit mum even if she lives outside of the territory – the ACT government last week lifted bans on travel to and from NSW in small groups for the purpose of visiting relatives.
The ACT government on Friday also lifted restrictions on gatherings, permitting groups of up to ten people to congregate indoors and outdoors as long as the four square metres per person rule is maintained and individuals stay 1.5m apart.
“Exceptions will be in place in the rare circumstances where more than ten people usually reside in a household,” ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.
“There will also be an allowance for larger families to meet where one household visiting another household results in more than ten people in the premises.
“For those larger families coming from a maximum of two households, the one person per 4 square metres and 1.5m physical distancing must be maintained.”
Additional reporting: David Penberthy, Matthew Denholm
