Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today 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."
Morrison also announced Australians will be given an “early mark”, with national cabinet meeting a week earlier than expected, next Friday, to discuss social easing distancing restrictions.
SA & WA consider reopening pubs
Consistently low coronavirus infection rates mean South Australians and Western Australians could be enjoying a pint at their local soon, as governments consider reopening pubs by the end of May.
The Australian reports SA is considering relaxing the lock down of pubs within three weeks following the state recording its eighth straight day without any new cases of COVID-19.
The government is hoping to return South Australians to a more normal existence by May 21, which could include outdoor dining and the use of beer gardens.
Premier Steven Marshall told The Australian: “South Australia has done an outstanding job in flattening the curve, and we must stay the course.
“Our world-leading testing regime and tracing capability gives us a sense of confidence that we can soon begin to slowly ease restrictions and not suffer setbacks seen in other countries.”
Meanwhile, there are signs the West Australian government is considering reopening pubs, cafes and restaurants soon. It began mandatory COVID-19 hygiene training and assessment for the hospitality sector this week.
This was to ensure that “WA businesses can reopen quickly when restrictions are lifted in the future”, Premier Mark McGowan said.
NT pubs to reopen in two weeks
The Northern Territory Government has announced it will be reopening pubs in two weeks time.
A three-step road map has been created to take the NT to the “new normal”.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said: “Because we are the safest place in Australia, we can do this before anywhere else in Australia.
“Because being the safest in the nation means being the first in the nation to get back on track. Back to business, back to work, back to enjoying the great Territory lifestyle.”
There have been no new cases of COVID-19 detected in the NT for more than three weeks and there are just three active coronavirus cases remaining out of a total of 28 confirmed cases to date.
On Friday, May 15, stage-two restrictions are expected to be eased, meaning people can visit licensed venues for a maximum of two hours.
On June 5, 2020, NT will allow the operation of all licenced gaming activities including a TAB.
People will also be free to attend a bar without food being consumed and the two-hour time limit will be lifted.
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