Coronavirus Australia: state breaks out over restrictions

South Australia will be the first state to unshackle itself from onerous restrictions, loosening them within weeks.

Hotel Darwin publican and co-owner Brett Lubicz can't wait to get back to serving cold beer in two weeks. Picture: Amos Aikman

South Australia will be the first state to unshackle itself from onerous coronavirus restrictions, committing to a significant loosening of the lockdown within three weeks, well ahead of the more populous eastern states, which remain beset by division over the reopening of schools, restaurants, and pubs, and when to allow amateur sport to resume.

On Thursday, South Australia notched its eighth straight day without any new cases of COVID-19, giving Premier Steven Marshall and his police and medical chiefs further impetus to push ahead with their aim of returning life to normal by May 21.

Restrictions on the use of playgrounds, school attendance and amateur sport, as well as rules surrounding outdoor dining and beer gardens, are among the next clamps being considered for removal in South Australia, as the state readies itself to emerge from lockdown.

South Australia has been the freest jurisdiction in the nation for the duration of the pandemic.

Mr Marshall told The Australian on Thursday night that on current trends South Australia would soon be reaping the rewards of its efforts against the virus.

“South Australia has done an outstanding job in flattening the curve, and we must stay the course,” he said.

“Our world-leading testing regime and tracing capability gives us a sense of confidence that we can soon begin to slowly ease restrictions and not suffer setbacks seen in other countries.”

Federal and state leaders will meet again on Friday to discuss a possible timetable for the easing of restrictions for various recreational activities. The national cabinet will also consider an industry code for the aged-care sector and government responses to mental health during the pandemic.

The Australian understands that Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian are supportive of sporting codes restarting and optimistic about their imminent return — but only if they are able to fulfil the health requirements that would ensure players and supporting staff are kept safe.

The view within the NSW government is that, provided the health boxes are ticked, professional sports should be given an opportunity to prove they can operate safely, a view likely to be taken to the national cabinet meeting.

There is also a growing hope that amateur football in South Australia and even the SANFL could start as early as June provided social-distancing rules have been lifted.

In other good news for South Australia, The Australian can reveal that the coronavirus cluster identified at Adelaide Airport has not spread. Qantas executives held a hook-up on Wednesday to update staff about the impact of the pandemic on the airline.

South Australia’s COVID-19 testing blitz finished on Wednesday, with the state leading the nation in the number of tests for the virus per capita, with 57,389 samples taken. More than 3.2 per cent of South Australians have been tested for COVID-19, higher than all other states and triple Western Australia’s rate of 1.4 per cent.

While the cautious rhetoric of various state leaders and their medical experts has been a daily staple throughout the pandemic, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was left embarrassed on Thursday when the state’s Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen likened the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1770 to the deadly reach of COVID-19, prompting calls for her resignation.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall.

The issue of when schools will fully reopen remains a key sticking point in the major states of NSW, Victoria and Queensland, despite the advice of the nation’s Chief Medical Officer that it is safe for children to attend. Schools in South Australia have remained open at all times, and the government has urged parents to keep sending their children.

On Thursday, the ACT government announced it was the first jurisdiction to be free of known cases of COVID-19, but schools across the territory remain shut.

In Western Australia, there have been no known cases of coronavirus in aged care and Premier Mark McGowan has lashed companies that continue to ban visitors, saying it is a human right for the elderly to see their families.

In the clearest sign yet that the West Australian government intends to reopen cafes, pubs and restaurants soon, it began mandatory COVID-19 hygiene training and assessment for the hospitality sector this week. This was to ensure that “WA businesses can reopen quickly when restrictions are lifted in the future”, Mr McGowan said.

On Thursday, when the number of active COVID-19 cases in the state fell to 36, select TABs were granted permission to open.

Northern Territorians will be able to go fishing from Friday, enjoy a cold beer at a pub in two weeks and return to “new normal” life by early June as the Gunner government also eyes off a faster-than-expected recovery.

Outdoor weddings and funerals, activities such as boating, swimming, golf and other forms of non-contact sport and open-air entertainment will all be allowed from Friday. People will also be able to go shopping, take children to playgrounds and have visitors at home. From May 15 onwards, pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes will resume in-house service. Gyms will reopen, as will indoor markets, salons, libraries, galleries and churches. Venues will have to follow safety guidelines and limit gatherings to two hours.

After June 5, the time limits will disappear, and all remaining businesses and sporting activities will be allowed to restart.

For Brett Lubicz, publican and co-owner of Hotel Darwin, the best news is the chance to get back to pouring beer.

“The lockdown has been devastating for our business,” he said. “We’ve missed all our regulars, and we’ve missed the new people we meet at the bar.”

Mr Lubicz kept 10 of his 20 staff by relying on the JobKeeper package and hopes to have all back serving meals and drinks soon.

Announcing the three-stage plan on Thursday, Chief Minister Michael Gunner paid tribute to the Prime Minister’s “exceptional leadership” and the work of the national cabinet in allowing his jurisdiction to become the safest place in a very safe country.

He was confident that, even if new cases did emerge, health authorities would be able to contain infections without reimposing widespread lockdowns.

“We can do it once and get it right, spreading the risk out, managing it, reducing it,” he said. “It’s not my intention to shut down if there is a new case here, so long as people are doing the right thing,” Mr Gunner said.

Industry groups broadly welcomed the Gunner government’s recovery plan. Alex Bruce, chief executive of Hospitality NT, said the road map offered “some much needed light at the end of the tunnel for our local industry”.

The Northern Territory has recorded 28 coronavirus cases in total, 25 of them now recovered.

Additional reporting: Geoff Chambers, Yoni Bashan, Paige Taylor