The quest to resume profitable trading marches on with further states joining NSW in allowing hoteliers to welcome more customers back to their modified post-pandemic pubs.
The Berejiklian Government in NSW has released its industry guidelines for hospitality, providing a checklist of items to include in a venue’s COVID-19 Safety Plan for increasing capacity to 50 people, which began today.
Victoria released its accelerated program for hospitality last week, also increasing capacity from 1 June.
Western Australia has jumped to the front of the race to ease restrictions, after Premier Mark McGowan announced that from 6 June the State’s pubs and restaurants can service up to 100 patrons per separate area, to a maximum of 300, and relaxing of the one person per four square metres floor space restrictions.
“The halving of the capacity formula to now require two square metres per patron will allow many more venues to open,” offers AHA(WA) CEO Bradley Woods.
“Premier McGowan has demonstrated strong leadership in arriving at a solution that is tailored to WA’s current situation with respect to COVID-19, recognising our ability to re-open in a prepared, safe and responsible way.”
The rule around only serving alcohol with a meal has also been revoked, which the AHA suggests will be “warmly welcomed” by both venues and the community.
The Association has worked closely with government since the restrictions went in place to ensure venues could “get up and running as soon as possible” and suggests as pubs reopen prioritising patron safety, incorporating hygiene training, social distancing and contact tracing, the latest guidelines mark a major milestone.
“What is most important now is that venues are well supported by the local community.
“The road to recovery ahead is going to be a long one and it is now more crucial than ever that [Western] Australians get out and support their local venues.”
South Australia also welcomed eased restrictions from today, after Premier Steven Marshall provided new rules for a range of industries, including licensed venues.
Pubs and bars can now take groups of up to 20 patrons in as many as three indoor areas, plus another 20 outdoors, for a total of 80-pax. Social distancing rules of 1.5 metres and four square metres per person still apply, and patrons must be seated although food is no longer a requirement to serve alcohol.
Premier Marshall tipped restrictions may be eased further in two weeks to allow 50 people per area, following a review on the current conditions.
Queensland has similarly loosed the reins a little, allowing 20 patrons in venues from today and potentially 20 per area from 5 June in venues with an approved COVID safety plan in place, under a mandated four square metre rule.
Importantly, patrons must be seated and provided table service, and staff confined to working one area only.
“Now you can have multiple groups of 20, if you can make sure those groups don’t interact with one another … and as long as staff don’t move from group to group,” announced Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young.
The QHA says the staff movement restrictions will hobble many venues during slower periods, CEO Bernie Hogan suggesting losses could be magnified and make it not worth opening.
The industry body recently submitted a coronavirus safety plan program to Queensland Health, proposing patronage be set at a quarter of the licensed capacity, with table service only, workers trained in specific safety protocols, and at least one person’s contact details collected for groups.
Hogan is hoping to get away from number limits, arguing any number precludes a good portion of venues where a ratio creates an even playing field.
Roughly midway between, at 50-pax, NSW will this week welcome back a large percentage of public houses, which the AHA NSW bodes will be a “major boost” to the State’s economy and the tens of thousands of hospitality workers out of work.
“Social distance rules will apply and capacity will be restricted, but our hotels will start re-employing thousands of workers again – from chefs and baristas to waitresses and bar staff,” asserts AHA NSW CEO John Whelan.
“This is also great news for the hundreds of thousands of people indirectly employed by hotels – from the local butcher to maintenance workers.
“The entire hospitality sector has been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis with hotels shut down across NSW and 94 per cent of our workforce stood down or terminated.”
