NSW will allow 50 patrons in pubs cafe and restaurants from June 1, Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed on Friday.
“This will be with very strict guidelines in place. It has to be in adherence to the four-square-metre rule,” she said.
“Some venues are small in space. They will only be able to have as many customers as is allowed in that space according to the four-square-metre rule.”
Berejiklian said venues will only be able to take bookings of up to 10 people and every patron must be seated.
“You have to be seated at a table, even if it’s a pub. You have to be seated at the table, you have to be served at the table,” she added.
“There is no mingling, no standing around.”
Australia’s hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by social distancing restrictions imposed in March to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Nationally, nearly 600,000 people were in April forced out of work by the restrictions.
Deputy premier John Barilaro said June is a time to help the hospitality industry “fill their registers.”
“We’ve opened up the regions and now it’s our happy hour, time to wine and dine,” he said.
We want to see people visiting the regions visiting hotels, pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes.”
Berejiklian said the easing of restrictions, which currently limit restaurants and cafes to 10 patrons, was needed to revive the local economy.
“Losing 221,000 jobs in April was a disaster. We don’t want to see that continue,” she said.
A woman died in a Sydney hospital Thursday night bringing the national death toll to 101.
Face-to-face teaching is set to resume around the country at the end if next week.
South Australia has brought forward the lifting of restrictions, with restaurants and cafes able to seat up to 20 people at a time.
“We are allowing those businesses that have been trading with 10 outdoors now to have 10 indoors also with alcohol. So a small step,” SA Premier Steven Marshall said.
“Our major step, of course, is occurring on 5 June when we will be allowing indoor dining with alcohol right across the state.”