Coronavirus: Familiar faces in familiar places

The national psyche will be buoyed this weekend as some restrictions are lifted.

People queue to enter the Apple Store in Bondi Junction in Sydney's east on Friday. Picture: Britta Campion

The national psyche will be buoyed this weekend as Australians imagine an imminent future that includes inviting friends over for dinner, shopping in their favouri­te stores, easing into a seat at their local cafe or heading off for a drive just for the heck of it.

And those who haven’t seen workmates for months other than via a Zoom screen will either celebrate or mourn the national cabinet’s changed advice to continue to work from home only if it suits both employees and employers.

But they might be a touch disappointed that, in the short term at least, they won’t be able to head to the local pub, movies, gym or the zoo. Restrictions on weddings and religious gatherings are set to be slightly eased, but will initially remain­ limited to 10 people or less. Those thinking of inking must cool their jets for a while yet, with tattoo parlours remaining closed.

And if they want a table at their favourite restaurant or cafe, they may have to pull a few strings, with numbers limited to just 10 at any one time.

These are some of the arrangements proposed under stage one of the national cabinet’s three-stage road map to COVID-19 recovery. Just how quickly they are put in place depends on where people live, as each state retained the right to introduce measures as and when they see fit, and each comes from different starting points of coronavirus exposure.

Victorians won’t see any immediate change, with the government set to announce stage-one measures next week. New South Welshmen similarly. Queensland says it will begin to open up from May 16, allowing longer drives and the opening of restaurants, cafes and outback pubs. From Monday, Tasmania will begin easing restrictions on funeral numbers and ­national park access, followed by limited opening of cafes and pubs from May 18. South Australia will open its public pools and libraries from Monday, along with outdoor dining at cafes and restaurants. Longer travel within the state will also be permitted.

Schools have been a thorny issue since the pandemic began. The road map says they can open now, and most states have either already moved to open at least some grades, or will from Monday.

Tasmanian schools will start to open on May 25, with all grades back by June 9. Victoria continues to be the holdout, with no advice yet on how it will chart a return, though the government hinted on Friday at a relaxation of its ­position that schools would remain closed through term two. Universities and technical colleges are encouraged to introduce face-to-face tuition where possible.

The impact of the changes on both the economy and spread of COVID-19 will be assessed by the national cabinet every three weeks, which could lead to the shackles being further loosened as stage two kicks in. Gatherings of up to 20 people would be permitted in stage two.

Gyms, beauty salons­, galleries and amusement parks could open, some interstate travel may be reintroduced, and groups of up to 20 could play outdoor sports. Restaurants and cafes could increas­e their capacity to 20, cinemas could open if numbers were kept to 20 and campgrounds could reopen.

South Australia, where the coronavirus has been far less prevalent than in the eastern states, has already announced June 8 will be the date it considers introducing stage-two arrangements such as allowing driving lessons to resume­. Tasmania’s stage two will start a week later, on June 15, and will include camping and heading to shacks, an important cultural component of Tasmanian life.

Stage three, expected by July, will further ease restrictions. Restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs will be allowed 100 patrons at a time, weddings 100 guests and funerals up to 100 mourners, community sport would be opened up and interstat­e travel allowed.