Surely it’s time to bin the venue caps

I reckon the State Government might be painted into a pretty tight corner now after the rallies last weekend.

OPINION:

I RECKON the State Government might be painted into a pretty tight corner now after the rallies last weekend.

To be clear, I fully support the cause and was blown away by the size of the crowds.

The movement can't be ignored.

Things have to change, and not just in the US.

But I do have a bit of an issue with the idea that a local pub, club, restaurant, cafe or other business will still be expected to turn people away - god forbid we had 21 people within an area instead of 20 - when that many people can be shoulder-to-shoulder at the rally.

What's good for the goose, right.

I just can't see the sense any more.

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If our state borders must remain closed, the least that could be done is to restore us back to as close to normal as possible internally.

We've seen so few cases and incidences of community transmission, and if the border is supposedly shut, there shouldn't be an issue of fresh infection risk.

That risk should be controlled.

So why shouldn't we be back to open slather?

Walking through a major shopping centre last week I was struck by how little the current restrictions made sense.

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Watching mindless shoppers by the hundreds crammed alongside each other, poring over stores, I was just dumbfounded.

I can't reconcile why that should be allowed to happen, when mates who run hospitality venues are fighting for their lives, turning away people ready and willing to spend their hard-earnt.

I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories.

But it's irking me that this whole shutdown seems to have played into the hands of the major retailers.

Bunnings has been packed, as have the major grocery store chains, while the small business owners have been taking hit after hit, and plenty wiped out completely.

I note the major push for the state borders to be reopened.

I'm not that bothered by it, I think there's still a reasonable case for them to remain closed until all other states are basically in control of the virus.

The data shows New South Wales still had fresh cases this week, and both NSW and Victoria had much higher locally-acquired case numbers than we did in the Sunshine State.

I'm not advocating for us to all go out sneezing on each other.

But I'm really struggling to understand why a local pub couldn't be back to business as usual.

I should note a fair bit of self interest and serious lack of medical experience here.

I'm not doctor, but I am bloody thirsty for a cold schooner off the wood.

We've shown we can be responsible, so why not give us a chance to support the battlers.

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