NSW will have outdoor social distancing restrictions eased a bit more from Friday onwards, with the Government announcing that outdoor venues and dining spaces will have smaller social distancing, and the ability to have 500 people seated at outdoor gigs. My God, we might be on here.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced this morning that outdoor dining will have eased restrictions from Friday, October 16, and outdoor events can happen from today in preparation for the incoming summer.
As per the ABC, the eased restrictions involve dropping down to two square metres per person in outdoor dining spaces, like beer gardens and cafe alfresco dining, and the ability to have outdoor gigs where all punters are seated and maintaining a strict four-square-metre rule.
“While we are concerned with the emerging clusters we do feel confident enough that from Friday, outdoor venues will be able to have 2 square metres outside, in preparation for summer,” Gladys said.
In a statement released to coincide with the announcement, Gladys also recognised the importance of opening up live gigs in outdoor venues across NSW again, which will hopefully give support to an industry that has suffered greatly during the pandemic.
“This is also a big boost for our music industry with more people in NSW able to enjoy music in the outdoors over the summer.”
NSW Minister For Health Brad Hazzard said that the easing of the rules in outdoor dining spaces will help get the hospitality industry back into gear, as well as bringing more people together to socialise in the warmer weather, though he recognises it comes with a risk increase.
“This is another step toward as normal a life as possible in a COVID-19 world, and will draw more people to our hospitality venues to catch up with family and friends, particularly in outdoor spaces as summer approaches,” he said.
“In doing so we increase our risk, so it’s important everyone continues to practise physical distancing and good hand hygiene, and to get tested if unwell and stay home until a negative result is obtained.”
Before today’s announcement of the eased restrictions in NSW, live gigs could only have a strict capacity of 20 people seated, no matter if it was an indoor or outdoor venue. With the new outdoor capacity restrictions, we could be seeing seated gigs at places like the Domain in the city, or at ovals, parks, or any green space that could hold 500 seated punters.
Bloody hell, imagine a live gig where you can just park up with a picnic blanket and sit in the arvo sun with a beer or something. Sounds like bliss to me, a person living in Melbourne who hasn’t seen live music since March.
