Current Events > Australia is shutting down non-essential businesses for upwards of 6 months

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MrMallard
03/22/20 8:20:42 AM
#1:


Supermarkets, petrol stations, freight, banks, hospitals etc. - they're staying open. But the retail sector for non-essential things like clothes, electronic goods etc. are going to be closed for a possible 6 months or longer. So are restaurants and gathering places like pubs, clubs, halls, and cinemas. The decision came down about an hour ago from the PM.

The full details haven't been hashed out yet, and we'll have more information within 48 hours. But right now, it looks like a lot of places are going to be shutting down by noon tomorrow.

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Feetish
03/22/20 8:22:28 AM
#2:


Theyre finally taking it seriously.

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LightningAce11
03/22/20 8:22:47 AM
#3:


Borders and travel as well. I had to cut short my stay in QL because of this, I was doing contract work. I'm really hoping remote work pulls through, I really want to finish this contract work.

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FuneralFroth
03/22/20 8:23:37 AM
#4:


2020 is done

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Rika_Furude
03/22/20 8:24:09 AM
#5:


Im considered essential in my job for the time being

Hope my employers business isnt shut down

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Rika_Furude
03/22/20 8:24:23 AM
#6:


Feetish posted...
Theyre finally taking it seriously.
No they arent

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gamer167
03/22/20 8:28:53 AM
#7:


Damn, economy everywhere gonna be wrecked
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Rika_Furude
03/22/20 8:32:02 AM
#8:


gamer167 posted...
Damn, economy everywhere gonna be wrecked
Let it burn

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MrMallard
03/22/20 8:32:13 AM
#9:


I'm just passing along the news, please try not to get hostile. I think I'm in a good place, no confirmed cases in my town and we're small and close knit enough to weather this thing fairly well, but a closure of this scope is unprecedented in my lifetime you know. I'm honestly pretty worried, even though I'm fairly confident I'm gonna be fine.

There's a Chinese family who run a local fish and chips shop, I'm worried about them. I went to TAFE with a Muslim Lady who runs a restaurant with her husband. They'll be getting stimulus money most likely, but how soon will it come in? How will it affect their lives? What's the mental health impact going to look like at the end of this?

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ModLogic
03/22/20 8:39:10 AM
#10:


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darkmaian23
03/22/20 8:39:58 AM
#11:


Wait, so what are all of the people in Australia without essential jobs going to do for food, shelter, and other necessities? Never mind the eventual lawlessness and civil unrest, how is anyone going to pay for anything if most people don't have money?
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Starmieketone
03/22/20 8:42:27 AM
#12:


Yet, schools will still be open.

Teachers will be thrown under the bus in the name of expediency as a source of childcare. Of course, they will be expected to fix the brakes before they disappear beneath the wheels.

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MrMallard
03/22/20 8:45:46 AM
#13:


darkmaian23 posted...
Wait, so what are all of the people in Australia without essential jobs going to do for food, shelter, and other necessities? Never mind the eventual lawlessness and civil unrest, how is anyone going to pay for anything if most people don't have money?

The government announced a $66 billion stimulus package. Businesses are gonna get cash to pay for the projected losses, with the idea being that anyone who's unable to work will get paid so they can keep the lights on, and the unemployed and pensioned are going to get increased payments to keep them afloat.

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Raikuro
03/22/20 8:48:17 AM
#14:


Wouldn't that just make the essential places more crowded than ever? And everyone is forced to go to them with increased chance for exposure...
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MrMallard
03/22/20 8:54:23 AM
#15:


Raikuro posted...
Wouldn't that just make the essential places more crowded than ever? And everyone is forced to go to them with increased chance for exposure...

Maybe so, but you can't buy paracetamol at a Label A, y'know. If no-one can buy food and supplies, everybody starves.

I want to say "people will learn to mind their fucking manners and help each other out", but I already know that's not gonna be the case. Busloads of people from Sydney and Canberra have been coming to my podunk location to pick our stores clean of supplies, despite the sheer amount of stores available to them.

My friend works in a chemist, I'm worried about him - not because of the virus, because I feel like his place of work is going to get annihilated by everyone losing their minds.

Right now, my guess is that things will suck for about two months. Then we'll get that "resilient people standing strong and helping each other out" influx, which will hopefully inspire people to be better. But fuck man, I dunno.

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LightningAce11
03/22/20 8:57:10 AM
#16:


Is the government doing anything for freelancers?

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MrMallard
03/22/20 9:02:03 AM
#17:


LightningAce11 posted...
Is the government doing anything for freelancers?

I dunno, man. This is all I can extrapolate from the stimulus stuff that's come out, and I could very well be wrong about its use. You might have to apply for a job seeker payment to keep the lights on for all I know.

I'm sorry I can't help more on the info front, and I hope things are gonna be okay for you. I want to tell you not to panic until you know exactly what the deal is, but as far as reliable info on the stimulus goes, I'm at a loss.

It's midnight now. The shutdown goes into effect in 12 hours.

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Alucard188
03/22/20 9:02:17 AM
#18:


My friend is already on non-essential leave, which is basically them being on payroll without actually paying them. She has to survive until the government actually forces them to shut down, to which that she can apply for enhanced unemployment benefits.

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gamer167
03/22/20 9:02:52 AM
#19:


Rika_Furude posted...
Let it burn

Seems like a dumb thing to say.
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MrMallard
03/22/20 9:04:56 AM
#20:


Alucard188 posted...
My friend is already on non-essential leave, which is basically them being on payroll without actually paying them. She has to survive until the government actually forces them to shut down, to which that she can apply for enhanced unemployment benefits.

I appreciate the info. The thing about my job right now is that I don't know if it's essential or not, it kinda borders on public health but it kinda doesn't at the same time. I won't know what the deal is until tomorrow morning at 9am, when I go to work.

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Rika_Furude
03/22/20 9:10:28 AM
#21:


MrMallard posted...
Businesses are gonna get cash to pay for the projected losses, with the idea being that anyone who's unable to work will get paid
ah yes, trickle down economics.
never worked before, but this time for sure!

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Rika_Furude
03/22/20 9:10:51 AM
#22:


gamer167 posted...
Seems like a dumb thing to say.
couldnt care less about boomers and their corrupt, evil businesses

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MrMallard
03/22/20 9:16:03 AM
#23:


Just gonna put this out there - tensions might run hot with some folks, but I'd like it if this thread didn't devolve into pissing matches and flaming. If you clash with someone, I'd appreciate people taking it out of the thread and settling it themselves. I want this thread to help - if we're having a hard time, maybe we can support each other or something.

Make your comments and whatnot, but if you're gonna drag out some beef, I would appreciate it getting taken out of the thread.

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nemu
03/22/20 9:18:37 AM
#24:


If places actually do this for an extended period, interested to see how many people end up dead from governmental bureaucratic nonsense.
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Irony
03/22/20 9:41:04 AM
#25:


nemu posted...
If places actually do this for an extended period, interested to see how many people end up dead from governmental bureaucratic nonsense.
All of them

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F1areaGaman
03/22/20 10:06:08 AM
#26:


Why 6 months though? Do they think it will take that long?

I still don't know a single person with the virus. There are no confirmed cases in hundreds of miles

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#27
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s0nicfan
03/22/20 10:18:00 AM
#28:


In six months pretty much every independently owned small business will go under. By the time this thing ends, the only businesses left will be Mega corporations and giant fast food chains. So maybe this is how we get our cyberpunk future.

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ExtremeLuchador
03/22/20 10:25:39 AM
#29:


Wallaby damned

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MrMallard
03/22/20 10:42:07 AM
#30:


F1areaGaman posted...
Why 6 months though? Do they think it will take that long?

I still don't know a single person with the virus. There are no confirmed cases in hundreds of miles

This was an error on my part. I read two different pieces of information and I conflated the two in my head.

The non-essential business shutdown will be taken on a month by month basis, from the looks of things. I mixed that up with reports of the AFL postponing the rest of the season for six months. That's my bad, sorry.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


We just hit Autumn. Right now it's something like 12 degrees C where I live, with a high of 20-something degrees. It was hot here from September to early March - y'know, when the country was burning to the ground. A few months before Summer, giving way into our hottest summer on record and our worst bushfires ever.

We're basically entering cold and flu season here, to my knowledge.

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Ser_Jaker
03/22/20 2:30:29 PM
#31:


Going into Centrelink today for the first time. Anyone have experience with how Newstart Allowance works in this situation?

I've been jobless for about 3 weeks now and haven't been employed despite desperately trying due to this situation. Completely fucked for coin so I'm hoping they'll lend me cash quick but I've heard it takes weeks/months to get set up.

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MrMallard
03/22/20 5:33:35 PM
#32:


Finishing my morning routine, and about to head into work. I don't have credit on my phone - if I don't get back to y'all in the next 7 hours, assume my workplace stayed open and I worked a full day. If I'm back on before that... well, let's think of it as a holiday. It's better than wallowing.

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Tired-Insomniac
03/22/20 5:35:17 PM
#33:


gamer167 posted...
Damn, economy everywhere gonna be wrecked

Maybe this is the reset button

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MrMallard
03/22/20 5:50:48 PM
#34:


Leaving now.

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UnfairRepresent
03/22/20 5:51:45 PM
#35:


Tired-Insomniac posted...


Maybe this is the reset button

Doesn't work that way dude
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Tired-Insomniac
03/22/20 5:53:12 PM
#36:


UnfairRepresent posted...
Doesn't work that way dude

No shit

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NightMarishPie
03/22/20 5:55:56 PM
#37:


This is not a good idea.

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NintendoFan81
03/22/20 6:11:38 PM
#38:


NightMarishPie posted...
This is not a good idea.

Yes it is a good idea.

The more places that are open- the more places that people are tempted to go to. Seeing as how many people think "its no big deal, just the flu and I'm fine" that likely still CAN spread it. Just because it's mild in one person, doesn't mean you can't spread it.

The quicker the spread is less- the easier it will be for places to re-open, period.

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NightMarishPie
03/22/20 6:14:03 PM
#39:


NintendoFan81 posted...
Yes it is a good idea.

The more places that are open- the more places that people are tempted to go to. Seeing as how many people think "its no big deal, just the flu and I'm fine" that likely still CAN spread it. Just because it's mild in one person, doesn't mean you can't spread it.

The quicker the spread is less- the easier it will be for places to re-open, period.
I'm not sure why you felt obligated to type that out, but okay. None of those places will re open if they are closed for 6 months because all small businesses will shut down to bankruptcy. This will have catastrophic effects to the economy and probably end up causing more deaths than what covid 19 will do. I don't have an answer, but shutting down almost everything for 6 months is not is.

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Darmik
03/22/20 6:16:49 PM
#40:


Inevitable after Bondi Beach. Unfortunately Morrison should have taken this more seriously a week ago (and longer) and didn't make a statement that he was still going to the footy game. New Zealand shutting down their borders after 5 cases sure seem smart right now.

Luckily my job isn't really impacted since it's a home loan company. Basically going to start working from home from this Thursday once we have it all figured out. The train this morning was quiet and everyone was sitting far apart.


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MrMallard
03/23/20 2:18:34 AM
#41:


Work was alright. The disinfecting step of my job has ramped up since last week - I went from using Dettol disinfectant wipes to using a murky brown disinfectant that requires rubber gloves to apply safely. It looks like my job is staying open - same with other businesses that aren't "essential" per se. Those non-essential businesses stayed open today, I think we're all waiting for clarification on what counts as essential. Churches, gyms, pubs, halls and maybe malls - anywhere where people swarm in large groups - are definitely closed though.

It looks like restaurants will stay open, but only for takeaway food - no dining in. And stuff that stayed open today might be closing by the end of the week depending on the official verdict. We got the closure news at 10pm last night with a deadline of noon today, and no-one knows what's going on.

@LightningAce11 - I think freelance work is gonna be okay given that you obey basic social distancing, if human contact is a requirement. You might even be able to work remotely if that's a possibility. Things are looking a lot better today than they were last night.

Everywhere in town is putting tape on the floor to mark the socially appropriate distance that people have to stand at. I went to my local games shop, one of my town's supermarkets, a non-essential supermarket that sells pillows and toys and snacks and video games, etc. and the bank. The local game shop is very local, and they hadn't marked the floor, but everywhere else I went did. That's on top of my workplace, which is also marking the floor with tape.

The next 2 days will be interesting, that's for sure. That's when "essential" and "non-essential" will be defined.

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#42
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TreyFlowers
03/23/20 2:31:39 AM
#43:


I work in insurance so luckily I'll be working. But yeah, it's fucked.

Scary times.

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PATRIOTS
#Sunshine2021
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Ultima Dragon
03/23/20 2:32:38 AM
#44:


If this 6+ month shit is going worldwide I guess I'd better start learning how to tie a damn good noose.

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TreyFlowers
03/23/20 2:33:43 AM
#45:


Ultima Dragon posted...
If this 6+ month shit is going worldwide I guess I'd better start learning how to tie a damn good noose.

It's actually quite sad, suicides are going to go through the roof.

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PATRIOTS
#Sunshine2021
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tigerslashII
03/23/20 2:35:06 AM
#46:


There is no way in hell the lockdown is going to last 6 months without Australia being reduced to a 3rd world nation.

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TreyFlowers
03/23/20 2:43:09 AM
#47:


tigerslashII posted...
There is no way in hell the lockdown is going to last 6 months without Australia being reduced to a 3rd world nation.

yesterday they were saying if breweries shut we'll run out of beer in 3 months

This country will tear itself apart with no sport or beer.

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MrMallard
03/23/20 2:52:33 AM
#48:


Conflict posted...
This is not something I can look at and applaud tbh

Sounds terrifying

It was particularly scary last night. The news came in at 10pm, and the official word was that non-essential businesses were to close by noon. "Non-essential" is a very vague, broad term - Woolworths and Coles would have stayed open, since they're essential, but what about Big W and K-Mart? What about clothing stores like Label A and Rivers?

But so far, a majority of businesses are still open. The PM said that they'd be hashing out the details in the next 48 hours, so we'll wait and see. But it looks like the only "non-essential" places that have been hit are high risk areas like churches and pubs and such, where people are packed in like sardines.

I also got two news stories mixed up. The AFL is suspending their season for six months - I conflated that with the nationwide shutdown order. For what it's worth, the shutdown is going to be a month-to-month thing - the government will see how things are going, then they'll pass down the new rules. If things are still shit next month, or are even shitter, then more places close. If things get better, more stuff re-opens. And we've got a massive stimulus package that's going to businesses to pay employees who aren't able to work, as well as to keep pensioners and job seekers afloat.

I'm not saying that as a defence of this shutdown, because so far I think it's been enormously mishandled. We had a 14 hour window to shut down every pub, church and gym in NSW, and quite possibly the whole of Australia. We learned that the country is shutting down late at night, and the time that the new rules would be going into effect was noon the next day. If you were asleep before 10 last night, you would have woken up to the news of "everything's fucking closing by noon except for woolies".

I was taken aback, I was frightened. This is an unprecedented step to take, and I honestly panicked a little bit. The initial comment hit me like a ton of bricks - again, because the term "non-essential" is very broad and vague, and 14 hours is not a long time. A majority of retail places might have had to close, leaving the grocery places and chemists open - my friend works in the one chemist in town that absolutely, 100% cannot shut, even on public holidays.

But now it turns out that a lot of places are still allowed to be open. Big W and K-Mart are still open, and so are Label A and Rivers to my knowledge. McDonalds, KFC, Domino's etc. - still open. The only "non-essential" places to close today we're particularly high risk. So the picture we're looking at is a lot less scary than it was last night. Couple that with the stimulus that's been public knowledge for a little while before this sudden swerve into a shutdown, and things aren't looking as apocalyptic as some folks seem to think. That's partially my fault, sorry - people who will be forced our of a job will most likely still be paid enough to keep the lights on. But I had a chat with my mum this morning to ask if anything like this had happened in her lifetime, and she said that it hadn't. We're living in some weird fucking times, man.

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MrMallard
03/23/20 2:54:54 AM
#49:


tigerslashII posted...
There is no way in hell the lockdown is going to last 6 months without Australia being reduced to a 3rd world nation.

That's poor reporting on my part, sorry @tigerslashII - I read that the AFL were postponing the season for six months, and that mixed in with the shutdown news. The shutdown will be a month-to-month thing, where the government will re-assess the state of things each month and update the shutdown laws as required.

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ColdOne666
03/23/20 3:24:35 AM
#50:


Aussie here. Its crazy atm. Everyones losing jobs. Havent seen a roll of toilet paper for weeks. My job is safe but family members could lose theres.
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