Page 1193 - Week 05 - Thursday, 4 June 2020
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and South Australia, so largely in line with these larger states, recognising that each jurisdiction has taken a slightly different approach.
The ACT government are putting the community’s health and safety first in making these decisions, but we are also taking a mature and measured approach to reduce the likelihood that restrictions may need to be reintroduced or tightened again. While we recognise that this process of gradual easing is difficult for many businesses, we have also heard very clearly from small businesses that lifting restrictions and then reimposing them would be the worst outcome for many of them.
The road map and the public health monitoring that supports its implementation are all about assessing and balancing cumulative risks so that we can continue our reopening in a sustainable way. In providing advice to the cabinet, the Chief Health Officer, Dr Coleman, has outlined a range of factors that need to be considered in assessing the cumulative risk of reopening the economy. These include: the size of each gathering; the interaction of social networks, where crossover between multiple social networks creates a larger risk than interactions within a single social network; indoor versus outdoor environments; the number of contact surfaces and likelihood of many people sharing equipment or touching the same surface; compliance with isolation and quarantine for cases and contacts; the risks associated with increased travel and people movement; the readiness of businesses and undertakings to operate in a COVID-safe manner; and disease surveillance, epidemiology and modelling.
Madam Speaker, as members would be aware, the ACT government has taken the next step to easing of restrictions outlined in the recovery plan, in line with Dr Coleman’s advice and the framework agreed by national cabinet.
At 11.59 pm on 29 May 2020 the ACT moved to step 2.1 of our plan, which allows for larger gatherings and more businesses and services to operate. The key changes include: gyms, health clubs, fitness and wellness centres, including yoga, barre, pilates and spin facilities, being able to reopen with up to 20 people per indoor space at one time if they can follow physical distancing and other requirements around sharing of equipment et cetera; lifting of restrictions on indoor social sport to allow up to 20 people per indoor space with low contact and limited sharing of equipment; reopening of galleries, museums and national institutions with physical distancing of one person per four square metres and where a group for any activity does not exceed more than 20 people; reopening of outdoor attractions such as the National Zoo & Aquarium with physical distancing of 1.5 metres and where a group for any activity does not exceed more than 20 people, including children; reopening of beauty salons and other personal services such as waxing, nail, tattoo and massage services for up to 20 people with physical distancing of one person per four square metres; and further easing of restrictions on cafes, restaurants and other hospitality venues to allow up to 20 patrons per enclosed space or outdoor area if they can abide by physical distancing of one person per four square metres and put specific measures in place to manage personal contact.
The maximum limit of 20 people has also been extended to other previously announced measures, including the following: all indoor and outdoor gatherings, including weddings, religious ceremonies and real estate open houses, can now have a
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