Pubs to open in June: One Australian government looks at lifting restrictions on gyms, cafes and restaurants in five weeks
- The ban on cafes and pubs could be lifted in Northern Territory as early as June
- NT chief minister said he is looking at lifting restrictions over next five weeks
- Territory has just 28 cases of COVID-19 and last recorded a new case on April 6
- Territorians can access the NT's national parks for leisure activities from Friday
Restrictions on gyms, cafes and pubs could be lifted as early as June by one Australian government as the nation begins to ease social distancing rules.
Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner said he is looking at relaxing restrictions on businesses deemed non-essential as part of a transition to the 'new normal' over the next five weeks.
The NT has just 28 cases of coronavirus, with all of five of them having recovered, and last recorded a new case on April 6.
It comes as Mr Gunner on Monday announced the territory is reopening its parks for recreational use - joining Western Australia and Queensland in easing its coronavirus restrictions.
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A cafe owner serves a takeaway coffee at Le Petit Tarte Cafe in Sydney on Friday. The Northern Territory government has said restrictions on gyms, cafes and pubs could be eased in the territory in the next five weeks
Under the relaxed rules, Territorians will be able to go hiking, swimming and camping in the NT's national parks from Friday.
Mr Gunner said the re-opening of businesses like cafes - which have been forced to close since March 23 - would be conditional on them providing a plan detailing how they will stop the spread of the virus.
'Essentially the new normal will be in place during June,' he told ABC Radio.
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'There will be a lot of work between now and Thursday.
'I'll be able to catch up with the Chamber of Commerce today to talk about these things… about what is a practical set of time frames but we're aiming towards people in the territory going to live the new normal in June.'
He said the state government was building a template of what would be the minimum standards restaurants have to follow to re-open their doors.
NBL player Mitch Creek works out at his Melbourne home on April 22. Gyms could re-open in the NT within five weeks if they can provide a plan detailing how they will prevent the spread of the coronavirus
Taped off tables and chairs in Sydney on March 24 following the national shutdown of non-essential services including restaurants and cafes in Australia
'We'll be asking, businesses, for example, that are going be opening to have essentially their coronavirus plan about how they'll intend to manage their premises safely,' Mr Gunner said.
He ruled out though lifting restrictions on mass gatherings - saying do so was 'too risky' at this stage of Australia's fight against the coronavirus.
Territorians will be able to go hiking and camping this weekend with national parks in the NT to open on Friday as the government ends its coronavirus lockdown
'I'm still worried about the mass gathering event, like a super spreader type of event but other than that I think pretty much everything can be managed in some way,' he said.
'The last thing I'll be touching is the borders - we're safe but we're not immune.
'I really want people to understand that second waves of these things are possible.'
A raft of new measures could be implemented on public transport in Australia to maintain social distancing as the nation returns to work after the coronavirus lockdown. Pictured a bus driver wearing a preventative mask at Sydney's Railway Square on April 1
It comes as Australian pub bosses discuss a raft of rules to minimise social contact ahead of venues re-opening for business - including bans on communal items like pub buzzers, water jugs and plastic laminated menus.
A leading tourist board has also warned hotel buffets will not be open for service - with guests turning to in-room dining during the first phase of restriction easing.
'I think there will be a lot more in-room dining. People won’t be as keen to eat in the restaurant,' Tourism Accommodation Australia CEO Michael Johnson told the Sunday Telegraph.
It comes as the federal government, health experts and state leaders work on plans to restart sport and get Australians back to work ahead of a review of coronavirus restrictions on May 11.
Pub buzzers, water jugs and plastic laminated menus could become the new norm in bars and pubs, industry bosses have warned
With a vaccine yet to be developed, the Australian Hotels Association said a 'new world order' should be expected when pubs open their doors again.
'They [pub owners] are thinking about anything that people touch – water jars at the end of the bar, those laminated menus, the buzzer,' the association's NSW chief executive officer John Whelan said.
'Live music is a real difficult one. Possibly seated. A lot of hotels are giving real consideration to everything. They all accept social distancing is here to stay for a while.'
Australian National University microbiologist Peter Collignon has told Daily Mail Australia pubs and hotels may not return to normal until September - although they could re-open under strict conditions in July.
Sign-in and sign-out procedures to maintain contact tracing and a 50 per cent capacity limit at venues are among those measures being discussed by hospitality industry leaders.
The implementation of a staggered return to work could also reduce the risk of transmission on buses - accompanied by a ban on standing and preventing passengers from sitting next to each other.
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