Well, fuck.
Queensland has officially ruled out traditional Schoolies celebrations for 2020, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and new restrictions on large public gatherings.
Speaking to the media Friday morning, QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state recorded three new cases of COVID-19 overnight, with two of them on the Gold Coast.
In response, the state has moved to limit outdoor events on the Gold Coast to just ten people.
On top of that, gatherings in residences, including holiday rentals, will be capped to no more than ten people across the state from November 21 to December 11.
The decision means no jumbo gathos on the beach come November, as Palaszczuk said large events pose a “high risk” for infection.
“So there will be, unfortunately, no concerts, no organised events, because there can be no mass gatherings,” she added.
BREAKING: Schoolies Week events will not proceed this year. The Chief Health Officer has designated mass gatherings over several days of Schoolies a high risk event. That means organised events like concerts won’t proceed. #schoolies #covid19au pic.twitter.com/DKlubdKPje
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) August 27, 2020
The current restrictions for restaurants, pubs, and clubs will be unchanged. So, there’s that.
Chief Health Officer Professor Jeanette Young apologised to the state’s school-leavers for the move, but said she was confident young guns will find alternative celebrations.
“I think this group is one of the most resilient, innovative groups, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they will put in place instead of that traditional mass gatherings on the beaches and so forth,” she said.
Dr Young flagged smaller get-togethers as an alternative, and suggested that festivities could take place over a longer period of time to minimise mass gatherings.
“So there will be still be celebrations, but they’ll just be completely different,” she added.
While the move is a gut-punch for those hoping to enjoy one or two alcoholic beverages to celebrate the end of high school, it’s not a total surprise.
At the start of the month, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate flagged the idea of Schoolies via Zoom.
Grim.
More to come.
