Restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs in NSW will be able to welcome up to 50 people at a time from June 1, the state government has announced. However, NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian said that there would be “no mingling” allowed between patrons and that venues would be required to offer exclusively table service. Bars in pubs, clubs and restaurants must remain closed, and no standing customers will be allowed. The maximum number of people per individual booking will also be capped at ten people.
While this announcement will allow larger venues to viably reopen, it won’t make much of a difference to many venues currently operating, as the four-square-metre rule will still be in effect. A venue would need to be at least 200 square metres in order to accommodate the maximum number of 50 seated customers.