Cafés and restaurants can operate via takeaway or home delivery services following restrictions on businesses announced by the Federal Government on 22 March, and again on 24 March, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Home deliveries, takeaways, all of these things will continue as I know many of these catering businesses are already adjusting their business models in anticipation of things that they believe would potentially take place,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a press conference.
The Prime Minister, state and territory Premiers, and Chief Ministers met on 22 and 24 March as the National Cabinet, where they agreed to further actions to support social distancing measures already put in place to protect the Australian community from the spread of coronavirus.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to get the impression that these arrangements are things that will be in place for a couple of weeks or a month and then will be discarded and everything will be ok,” Morrison said in his address.
“Social distancing, keeping [a] healthy physical distance between individuals… wherever that is, is our biggest weapon in fighting this virus [and] saving lives.”
Leaders acknowledge that these new restrictions will change the way Australians live, and expressed deep regret for business owners and employees who will be impacted. Their goal is to reduce the spread of the virus, to flatten the curve, and to save the lives of fellow Australians.
“I am deeply regretful that those workers and those business owners who will be impacted by this decision will suffer the economic hardship that undoubtedly they will now have to face,” Morrison said.
“That is a very, very regretful decision, but a necessary one in the view of the premiers and chief ministers and myself to ensure that we can control the spread of this virus.”
