You might want to get used to having a photo of the pub as your Zoom background because it looks like the real thing won’t be opening up again anytime soon.
In truly heartbreaking news for everyone who loves knocking back a few cold ones at the end of a busy work week, experts believe our beloved pubs and bars won’t be opening until after winter, even if we manage to flatten the curve. Basically, we shouldn’t expect to be hanging out at the pub for at least two months, the Sunday Herald reports.
According to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, we should still expect “significant measures to maintain social distancing and to support good hygiene,” even after lockdown restrictions are relaxed.
But if you think Hunt is just being overly cautious, think again because several experts who spoke to the Sunday Herald seemed to share a similar sentiment.
ANU professor of microbiology Peter Collignon seems to think you should kiss goodbye to the hope of enjoying a cheeky beer at the pub throughout winter.
“Unfortunately I don’t think until September this year at the earliest,” he told the Sunday Herald. “Winter is coming and that is our next big risk time – for all respiratory viruses, including this one.”
“I think for a while longer with large intermingling groups inside, we need to play safe which is better than being very sorry afterwards.”
According to Collignon, we’ll be lucky if we’re seeing pubs and bars open before spring.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Uni epidemiology professorial fellow Tony Blakely believes we could potentially see our beloved pubs open a little earlier, but not for at least the next two months.
“I can’t see pubs being within the first month of it,” Professor Blakely said, provided we can flatten the curve. “So to answer your question, I can’t see pubs being opened up for at least two months from now.”
Obviously, we’re all just speculating at this point, so there’s still a slight chance we’ll see the pub before we see spring. But it’s probably worth investing in a quality photo of your favourite beer garden to use as your new Zoom background because your lounge room is the closest you’ll be getting to the pub for the foreseeable future.
