COVID-19 took hold in Australia fairly long after it spread to some other parts of the world. Coupled with swift response, the delayed onset has allowed parts of the country to reopen already. Certain nightclubs in Perth, for example, don’t even enforce social distancing anymore.
Lawmakers still encourage such measures, of course. Official club capacity mandates only allow one attendee per two meters of floor space – but they no longer restrict the movement of patrons themselves. The easing of restrictions follows Western Australia reporting single COVID-19 figures according to The West Australian.
Not all Perth establishments are as lucky as Geisha Bar, who appear to be returning to business as usual. Connections Nightclub expect to remain closed until July 18th when the two-meter rule is lifted altogether.
Countries around the world vary in their progress towards reopening. Last week, U.K. lawmakers floated plans to ease bar and nightclub restrictions on July 4th following a weekend of illegal Manchester raves. Ibiza establishments with a capacity higher than 300 must remain closed until July 6th, meanwhile, whereas gatherings of up to 1,000 are back on in Switzerland.
Outside of easing restrictions, the Australian government recently pledged $250 million in aid for arts and culture institutions.
