From the General Manager

IAN HORNE – AHA|SA GENERAL MANAGER

Light at the End of the Tunnel?

As far as South Australia is concerned, the management of the Covid-19 pandemic has been exemplary.

A mixture of a quick, focussed health response, including leading edge virus testing strategies, client tracing that sets international standards and a common sense approach by police to engage and educate, has been most welcome and allows South Australia to lead Australia in terms of case and fatality minimisation.

As I write this, hotels and hospitality complete their 5th week of trading under more relaxed conditions that include the one person per 2 sq m. This concession has been vital to restoring some level of viability to our sector, that combined with JobKeeper arrangements has avoided a catastrophe amongst our members.

It is of interest to note that according to media reports, the decision to move to one in two (50% capacity) from one in four (25% capacity) was not supported by Professor Nicola Spurrier. The media reports suggest that despite that opposition SAPOL and other members of the Transition Committee said:

“…taking into account the current understanding of the existence of Covid-19 in the South Australian community, the restrictions that we had in place for cross-border travel and the economic impact of retaining those distancing requirement led to an agreement within the Transition Committee that we should move to a one person in two square metres to free up business to be able to trade more effectively”.

In the same report, the CEO of SA Health said that keeping the social distancing requirement of ‘one in four’ had ‘massive’ economic and social implications.

Some five weeks after the decision, the reality is that hotels, hospitality, gym operators, staff, landlords and suppliers have August 1, 2020 begun the road to recovery with no negative impacts. It has been a win-win.

That is not to say South Australia can remain safely quarantined due to what we see happening in Victoria in particular. What it does say is that the right policy, the co-operation of industry and the support of the community remains an attractive formula for continued success and that the benefits have flowed to so many. Let’s hope the common sense South Australia formula can remain, even when facing the risk across the border. N.B. In light of the decision of government to reintroduce sitdown drinking and the threat of returning to one in four square metres, we hope common sense prevails and not “collective punishment” that simply damages business and jobs.

“That is not to say South Australia can remain safely quarantined due to what we see happening in Victoria in particular.”

That is not to say South Australia can remain safely quarantined due to what we see happening in Victoria in particular. What it does say is that the right policy, the co-operation of industry and the support of the community remains an attractive formula for continued success and that the benefits have flowed to so many.

Let’s hope the common sense South Australia formula can remain, even when facing the risk across the border.

N.B. In light of the decision of government to reintroduce sitdown drinking and the threat of returning to one in four square metres, we hope common sense prevails and not “collective punishment” that simply damages business and jobs.