Coronavirus: Borders to open as protesters warned

States and territories are pledging to reopen their borders next month.

Scott Morrison in Canberra on Friday. Picture: Getty Images

States and territories are pledging to reopen their borders next month, and crowds of up to 10,000 people will be allowed at outdoor stadiums, in a significant easing of coronavirus restrictions.

But the move came with a warning by Scott Morrison that the Black Lives Matter protests risked creating a double standard at a time of national ­sacrifice.

After businesses questioned why they could not host big groups when huge rallies had taken place across the country, it was also announced on Friday that more than 100 people would be able to attend weddings and ­funerals, depending on the size of the venue.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said crowded events such as the protests were “dangerous” as he again appealed to people not to attend events planned this weekend, saying organisers could not make them safe.

“Please express your genuine concerns about issues in other ways,” Dr Murphy said.

With Victoria the only state to have community transmission of coronavirus in the past fortnight and national cabinet increasingly confident about relaxing restrictions, the Prime Minister ­announced the 100-person limit on indoor and outdoor gatherings would be removed.

Instead, it will be replaced with a rule of one person per 4sq m for indoor venues, and outdoor ticketed venues that can seat up to 40,000 people will be able to fill 25 per cent of capacity, or 10,000 places.

That will help the sports and arts sectors, as well as places of worship, but larger outdoor ­venues — such as the Melbourne and Sydney cricket grounds — will have to apply to the relevant state for a special exemption to seat a crowd for an event.

The measures, which also apply to funerals and weddings, will be introduced gradually by the states under step three of their recovery plans.

Mr Morrison said the rules would not apply to nightclubs and music festivals, which he did not envisage opening any time soon.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall was the only state leader after Friday’s national cabinet meeting to nominate a date for the reopening of his borders, ­announcing the restriction would be lifted on July 20.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pointed Mr Morrison to her government’s online road map, which permits interstate travel on July 10, “subject to further planning and review”. A final decision is due to be made later this month.

Ms Palaszczuk caused confusion and outrage last month by suggesting September was the more likely timeframe.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein brought forward stage-three restrictions to June 26, but will not confirm a July date for borders to reopen until later this month.

While Mr Morrison said it was welcome Queensland would nominate a date, The Weekend Australian understands his government is prepared to maintain pressure on premiers who do not publicly announce when their borders will reopen.

“The only state or territory that is unlikely to fall out of that is still possibly Western Australia, but there is a commitment from the Premier (Mark McGowan) to continue to look at this issue,” Mr Morrison said.

“The Premier in Western Australia will make the argument that containing the borders of Western Australia has enabled them to move; they are effectively on step three now with the exception of that one item.”

Dr Murphy said the country’s top health officials would not know for another week or so whether the Melbourne Black Lives Matter protest, where an ­attendee could have been infectious with the coronavirus, had led to a spike in cases.

As Josh Frydenberg reminded Australians a second wave of cases could cost the economy $80bn over the next two years, Mr Morrison said the protests put the livelihoods of other Australians at risk.

“There shouldn’t be a double standard when it comes to this,” the Prime Minister said.

“Australians have made great sacrifices to get us to where we are today and everyone has had very significant personal issues about which they have great feeling and if they can accommodate that in the actions they are taking and showing the discipline and ­respecting the restrictions that have been put in place, then so should everybody else.”

Mr Morrison invited Anthony Albanese to endorse his call for Australians to listen to the health advice and not go to the protests, which was taken up by the Opposition Leader.

“I certainly have, consistently, as the Prime Minister knows full well, said that people should follow the medical advice and should not participate in gatherings that are against that medical advice,” Mr Albanese said.

Until Friday, the Opposition Leader had simply said people should listen to the health advice while Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten earlier declared people should not attend the protests.

Additional reporting: Sarah Elks