LET’S PLAY
FIRST STEPS TO FREEDOM
TASMANIANS will today start to enjoy a renewed sense of freedom from coronavirus restrictions as the first of three stages to ease the tough rules begins.
Restaurants and cafes will be allowed to host up to 10 patrons at a time, and playgrounds, libraries and pools will reopen with the same limit.
But Premier Peter Gutwein said restrictions would be lifted cautiously, declaring he would not play “Russian roulette” with people’s lives by risking a second wave of infections. He urged Tasmanians to continue following social distancing rules, as health officials said the state’s coronavirus situation was under control.
WITH coronavirus “under control” in Tasmania, the community is being urged to stay vigilant as stage one restrictions ease from today.
However, with growing calls for restrictions to be eased faster, Premier Peter Gutwein said he did not want to play “Russian roulette” with people’s lives.
“There will be many businesses that are going to be asking us to go faster than what we are, and I’m going to resist that,” he said.
“We are in a good place, but we need to get to a better place.”
The state’s cafes and restaurants will now once again be able to welcome seated customers. However, numbers will be limited to 10 people at a time.
Tasmanian Small Business Council chief executive Robert Mallett said it was great the state was moving forward, but that some businesses would not see much relief yet.
“Ten people in a small cafe isn’t so much of a problem, but 10 people in a restaurant that usually takes 50 or 60 people is. They’re the ones who are most affected,” he said.
“They’re unlikely to make much money out of it unless they’re strong about timing and introduce different sittings, which isn’t something we’ve had to organise in Tasmania so much until now.”
Mr Mallett said he was disappointed people would not be able to travel to their shacks by the June long weekend, with stage two restrictions expected to ease on June 15.
“Businesses such as those on the East Coast could have really benefited,” he said.
Mr Gutwein said he would be guided by Public Health advice every step of the way.
“We don’t want to be taking off restrictions to only be putting them back on,” he said.
“For businesses that are caught in that circumstance, they will find having had to recapitalise once that the second time around they simply won’t come back.
“We need to step through this carefully and sustainably.”
Acting Director of Public Health Scott McKeown said continuing to keep coronavirus under control in the state would be “like running a marathon”.
“We do have to pace ourselves,’’ he said. “We can’t act as though there are no restrictions. That would be a bit like sprinting for the finish line — we won’t make the distance.
“Staying the distance for stage one means that we all have to be cautious, to still stay home, and to work from home when we’re able to.”
Dr McKeown said people also needed to keep social distancing, following the rules, and to get tested if experiencing even the most minor symptoms.
Tasmania again recorded no new cases of coronavirus yesterday, with the total remaining at 226.
There were 18 cases listed as active, with no active cases in southern Tasmania.