TAMWORTH pubs and clubs are just days away from opening their doors again but police are pleading with locals to follow social distancing rules.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Gone are the days of milling around at the bar with mates, going to the pub on Monday will be different, police have warned.
Oxley Police Superintendent Kylie Endemi said officers were prepared to crack down on anyone doing the wrong thing.
"It will certainly be a strong focus for us," she said.
"It's important to remember that there are still the baseline restrictions we must adhere to.
"We really asking people to adhere to the physical-distancing requirements and all of the other restrictions that are in place under the Public Health Order."
Read Also:
From Monday, pubs and clubs will be allowed to host 50 patrons, as long as they comply with social distancing guidelines.
Tamworth Business Chamber president Jye Segboer said many of Tamworth's pubs and clubs had been proactive in adapting to the changed restrictions.
"There's certain limitations for a lot of venues, so I know a lot of businesses have gotten in touch with the local police to inspect their venues," Mr Segboer said.
"Doing that allowed them to better understand how many people they can have in their space.
"Venues have also looked at removing furniture to ensure people won't sit too close together.
"A lot of venues have worked really hard to ensure that when they do open they are going to abide by those regulations."
Despite no new cases in Tamworth for six weeks, the virus threat is still there, with more people set to be on the move from Monday, police have warned.
"We are doing a lot of proactive work leading up to next Monday and working really closely with our licensed premises' and our business owners," Superintendent Endemi said.
"We're working with them to make sure they're prepared, we're all working together, understanding what the conditions are, so that hopefully we have no adverse issues as we go forward from next week.
"From a policing perspective, Monday's changing of restrictions means we will balance a business-as-usual approach with continuing to work with the community and our local businesses so we can make sure we're keeping everyone safe."