Tasmania will mirror WA on two-square metre rule per person

UPDATED: Tasmania’s nightclubs, casinos and markets will be allowed to reopen this week with a slew of rollback measures coming into effect at noon today. WHAT’S OPENING >>

UPDATED: THE reopening of nightclubs, gambling venues and community sport with relaxed social distancing rules will spearhead Tasmania’s return to near-normalcy this weekend.

The state will step down to stage three coronavirus restrictions almost three weeks ahead of schedule — removing the most onerous of the remaining rules.

From noon on Friday, up to 500 people will be allowed at outdoor venues and events, with 250 people “on a per space basis” indoors and household visits will remain limited to 20.

Social distancing density limits will be relaxed to one person per two square metres, from one person per four square metres.

Subject to those limits, casinos and gaming venues, markets, food courts and food vans will be allowed to recommend trading. So too will spas, bath houses, float tank operators, strip clubs, nightclubs and sex workers.

Garage sales and car boot sales are once more permitted.

WHAT YOU CAN DO FROM NOON FRIDAY:

• Gatherings of up to 250 people permitted indoors
• Venues with multiple large space can operate on a per space basis, allowing more people
• 500 people permitted for outdoor gatherings
• One person per two-square-metre rule, applied indoors and outdoors
• Homes visits capped at 20 visitors
• Casinos and gaming venues will be able to open with appropriate distances in space
• Night clubs can reopen
• Markets can open again, subject to social distancing
• Food vans can once again operate at markets, with social distancing
• Dining in food courts will resume
• Garage sales and car boot sales will resume
• Spas and bathhouses can reopen
• Outdoor and indoor community competitive sport can resume
• Strip clubs can reopen
• Zoos can reopen
• Indoor amusement parks, play centres, arcades can reopen
• Provision of services to a person by a sex worker, within the meaning of the Sex Industry Offences Act 2005

One of the major beneficiaries of the announcement is community sport, although people will be discouraged from using changerooms and showers if possible.

Premiers will discuss changes to border restrictions and large-scale events in national cabinet hook-ups in the coming days and Mr Gutwein expected to announce a timetable on Friday.

Mr Gutwein said stage three was a good sign — but urged people not to be complacent as new cases were inevitable in Tasmania.

“I think we are in a good place. It’s been 39 days without an active case and we have now completed more than fourty-five and a half thousand tests,” he said.

Labor leader Rebecca White welcomed the announcement — which she described as “a step in the right direction”.

“This decision by the premier to move to one person per two square meters will make a huge difference for those smaller venues in particular, enabling them to have more people come into their restaurants and cafes, will help them to employ more people and will certainly help with Tasmania’s recovery,” she said.

E ARLIER:

MARKETS, night clubs and casinos will reopen under new rollback measures which will allow one person per two square metres from this Friday.

Indoor gatherings will be capped at 250 people, and outdoor gatherings 500, allowing for a most events to return to normal.

However Premier Peter Gutwein said visitors to homes will remain capped at 20, and urged caution despite the easing.

“It’s been 39 days without an active case and we have now completed nearly 45,500 tests,” he said.

“Around the world COVID-19 continues to carve, what can only be described as a debilitating path.

“It’s devastating, more than nine million people now have the disease and unfortunately nearly half a million deaths have occurred.

“The virus is obviously not eradicated and there is no vaccine yet, and we all need to be cognisant of that.”

Nightclubs across Tasmania will be allowed to reopen from this Friday.

Mr Gutwein said this round of restrictions was originally pencilled in to roll back on July 13.

“We’ll be bringing it forward around two and a half weeks, the lifting of stage 3 restrictions, to 12 noon this week,” he said.

Mr Gutwein said the state has managed to simplify restrictions, as well as provide additional freedoms.

Premier Peter Gutwein announcing further rollback measures of COVID-19 restrictions. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

“We will see positive cases in Tasmania, in my view, whether we open our borders or not, we’ve just got to be prepared to manage them effectively.

“We’re in a very good position should the virus bubble up somewhere, to get on top of it and shut it down.”

Mr Gutwein said he spoke with AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Wednesday morning, with further discussions to take place next week about whether games could be played in Tasmania this year.

He said with current border restrictions, the only way AFL teams could come into the state would be if they quarantine for two weeks upon entry.

Public Health Director Mark Veitch said the easing of restrictions would effectively double the amount of people in gathering settings to allow a greater density of people.

“We’re not at a point where we’re moving back to normal … that’s because we do need to have limits,’’ he said.

“There’s a significant risk if a case is introduced into the Tasmanian population … there’s a real risk that it spreads so we need to make sure all places in operation have their COVID safety plans.”

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Prior to the announcement, Labor leader Rebecca White urged the State Government to consider easing restrictions.

“At the start of the pandemic, Labor called on Peter Gutwein to introduce tough restrictions in the hope that if Tasmania was the first to go into lockdown, we could be the first to come out of it and get people back into work,” she said.

“Labor is calling for the Premier to adopt the Western Australian rules that allow venues to accommodate one person per 2 square metres to help businesses recover.

“The Government must listen to the community and support Labor’s COVID-19 Recovery Package which is designed to get Tasmanians back into jobs, help those hardest hit by the pandemic and create a better, fairer and more resilient economy and society.”