Pubs and clubs in NSW given greenlight to reopen for dining
The New South Wales government has announced pubs and clubs will be able to open from Friday under certain conditions.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the venues will only be allowed to open for food service and are required to adhere to social distancing requirements and limit customers to 10 at any given time.
Table service for alcohol with a meal will be allowed along with takeaway services, but bars and gaming facilities will stay closed.
"This is an important first step, and we want it to be a success, so that as venues transition back from closure, they do so safely both for their staff and their customers," Perrottet told The Sydney Morning Herald.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the phased opening of venues was needed to keep the economy going.
"We have to accept a manageable number of cases will allow us to have people keep their jobs, we don't want to see more people go into distress," she said.
"We also need to think about how our economy comes back in some form whilst maintaining the overall health of our citizens, and that's the tough balance.
"In NSW, we feel quite armed with options before us because we have done well with a population of our size and with the number of cases."
Sheridan Randall, 14th May 2020
