“Moronic” pub patrons in New South Wales are being blamed for a new COVID-19 crackdown after a string of new clusters was linked to pubs, clubs and casinos.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is set to announce the changes on Tuesday with heavy fines and tougher regulations on the collection of contact details and the size of groups.
The size of group bookings will be slashed from 20 to just 10 under the changes.
Larger pubs and clubs will be limited to 300 patrons in a tightening of the regulations.
But in a move that is set to anger some in the industry the Star Casino, which was fined $5000 over coronavirus safety measures will not be affected.
The crackdown follows the Crossroads Hotel outbreak in Sydney’s southwest which is linked to 21 confirmed coronavirus cases and forced dozens of patrons into quarantine, including a federal Labor MP.
It also follows shocking images of patrons breaching social distancing laws when lining up to enter premises at the Golden Sheaf Hotel in Sydney’s Double Bay.
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Earlier, NSW police expressed alarm that some patrons may not have provided their contact details at the Crossroads Hotel.
Under NSW public health orders, licensed venues must keep the name and contact details for staff and customers and contractors for at least 28 days for COVID-19 contact tracing.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook said the “moronic behaviour” of people breaching social distancing rules at other premises was disappointing.
“We have come a hell of a long way in a really difficult circumstance but you will see from the actions we have taken swiftly in relation to the breaches down in Jindabyne, we will continue to do that,’’ he said.
“Let’s be very clear about this, the time for warnings has long passed. The moronic behaviour of people at dance parties has got to stop and we will continue to seek these people out and, where appropriate, take actions. The time for warnings has passed and that’s in defence of us as a community. We are all responsible for our own actions here and we need to be serious about this.”
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But the NSW Australian Hotels’ Association said the Crossroads Hotel had done the right thing and followed the rules.
NSW Police Minister David Elliott foreshadowed the crackdown on Monday warning that a second lockdown of pubs in the state would be a devastating for workers and pub owners.
“Only recently, I was briefed that there were another 177 cases in Victoria. That – if that occurs in New South Wales, we will have to continue to look at what restrictions need to be reintroduced and that would be devastating, particularly to the hospitality industry,’’ he said.
“My appeal is also to the patrons. They have to take responsibility. A Government and the hospitality industry can only do so much.
“Some of the practices that we have seen are occurring because people are going to these licensed venues thinking that it is business-as-usual. If we have to close hotels and clubs again, the patrons will have to take some of the ownership of that. I will, however, work to my dying breath to make sure that that doesn’t happen.
“I am expecting that the hotel industry will introduce further reforms, further restrictions. to ensure that what we have seen in the last couple of days isn’t replicated.”
https://news.google.com/__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?oc=5
2020-07-13 10:30:00Z
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