UPDATE: The government has announced a three-step plan that will see clubs and pubs reopening across Australia by July. Read more
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed a proposal to reopen pubs has been sent to a medical expert panel to review.
Morrison met with state and territory leaders and business advisers yesterday to discuss restarting the economy under COVID-safe measures.
“We do not have a clear set of rules that would apply to a pub,” Morrison admitted.
“But what we do have is a set of recommendations that have been provided to us by the Australian Hotels Association and the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association, and that is exactly the thing we are looking for from industry groups.”
He said that proposal had been passed on to a medical expert panel.
“That will be part of the process we will work through to get back to a position when pubs and clubs and restaurants or cafes in the future can be open,” he said.
The AHA's proposal suggests two stages on reopening bars and restaurants.
Stage One will require people in venues to stand 1.5 metres away from each other. Menus will either be single use or covered in plastic and regularly cleaned. If feasible, food might also have to be ordered via a mobile device.
Bollards or markings on the floor have been proposed make bar service orderly. Venues are being encouraged to have a single entry and single exit point to stop people walking into each other with possible identification recordings on entering and temperature checks.
Additionally venues will encourage the use of the COVIDsafe app
No communal free food, such as snacks like chips or peanuts, would be offered. Buffets and communal cutlery trays would also be off the menu.
Staff would receive increased training in safe work health practices with increased cleaning at “all touch points” – such as handrails, tables and chairs. If possible, they would also have daily temperature checks.
Each venue would also have a nominated hygiene, capacity and distancing officer.
Stage two relies on evidence of what worked from stage one as restrictions ease. However, the AHA has warned that venues will not be able to sustain a 25% capacity should the government rule mandate four square metres for every patron, as for most venues this would not cover fixed costs.
“For the medium term, the AHA believes a capacity limit of 50% will enable the majority of venues to trade in a sustainable way,” states the proposal.
Restaurant and Catering chief executive Wes Lambert has also been working with state leaders on options for hospitality businesses to reopen.
Restaurant and Catering has submitted a suite of “low-cost, practical” guidelines to national Cabinet that includes 1.5 metre distancing between tables, social distancing in reception areas, and customers giving their name and number to staff if they haven’t signed up to the Federal Government’s COVIDSafe app.
There would also be disposable or plastic menus, no condiments, no bar service and mandatory training for the sector.
Australians encouraged to download COVIDSafe App
Last week, Morrison said that the easing of social distancing restrictions and getting Australians “back in the pub” is contingent on more people downloading the COVID-19 app.
“Now if that isn’t an incentive for Australians to download COVIDSafe on a Friday, I don’t know what is,” he said.
“The degree to which we can confidently reduce restrictions depends on how many people have downloaded the COVIDSafe app.
“So I’d encourage people to do just that this afternoon.
“And I’d encourage them, if they’re talking to each other on Zoom, if they’re having a cold one later on today in that environment and if they’re looking forward to doing it in a pub, well that is a prerequisite to even getting to that conversation.”
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