A remote Australian island has become the first jurisdiction to allow patrons to dine inside cafes and restaurants since the coronavirus restrictions were imposed.
Key points:
- Cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs on Norfolk Island are now permitted to serve diners instore.
- The island has faced some of Australia's strictest coronavirus lockdown measures.
- Norfolk Island has a large proportion of elderly residents and basic healthcare facilities making the community uniquely vulnerable to coronavirus.
Restrictions have been eased on Norfolk Island, meaning residents can now return to their favourite eateries provided they sit a safe social distance apart.
The relaxed restrictions have been welcomed by the remote territory's 1,750 residents, who have faced a particularly strict lockdown.
Under rules introduced mid-April, residents faced jail time for leaving their homes for non-essential purposes.
The rules were enforced after some people on the island, which is 1,600 kilometres east of the mainland, presented with flu-like symptoms and some residents, recently returned from the mainland, ignored quarantine measures.
Free to gather
This week authorities deemed the disease 'contained' and wound back restrictions from level three to two.
Now, islanders are free to gather in groups and venture to venues that are off-limits to many mainlanders.
They can worship indoors, go to pubs and clubs and gather outdoors in groups of 50 people.
No tourists, no profits
Cafe owner Naomi Thompson was delighted to open her doors and get her profits back on track.
"It's been so nice to see our customers come back through the doors and have a sit-down," she said.
"It's been pretty depressing thinking about how much income we've lost since March."
Norfolk Islanders say the pandemic has forced their economy to the wall.
Tourists have been banned from the island since March and that has spelt disaster for the island's hospitality sector which accounts for 90 per cent of all businesses.
Locals are cautious
Co-owner of Dino's Restaurant, Helen Bartholomew, said businesses would not turn a profit until tourists returned.
"It's like a ghost town here — there's no-one here," Ms Bartholomew said.
She said he would not reopen her restaurant until September.
"We could open now but with social distancing restrictions in place we could only serve 20 people, down from our usual 55," she said.
"Further, locals are being very cautious about their spending because they don't know how far they're going to have to stretch their resources."
Northern Territory to follow suit
It is unclear when coffee-lovers and foodies from other states and territories will be allowed back inside their favourite haunts.
With the coronavirus threat at different levels across Australia, most governments have decided to keep all their restrictions in place.
But in the Northern Territory, things are looking up. From May 15, restaurants, cafes, and bars will re-open.
This week Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would begin discussions with the hospitality industry to work out how restaurants and cafes could be "COVID-safe".
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state leaders will meet on Friday to discuss the next steps of the coronavirus pandemic.