Following a National Cabinet meeting this morning, Morrison presented a three-step plan that includes soon opening up restaurants and cafes, then allowing 20-person gatherings before later loosening restrictions to allow 100-person gatherings and interstate travel.

The first step involves allowing five visitors in private homes and 10 visitors in businesses and public places.

Restaurants, small cafes and retail stores will reopen, as will libraries, community centres, playgrounds and exercise boot camps.

Travel within states for non-essential reasons will also be allowed.

“Allowing 10 people in a one person per four-square-metre distance in small cafes and restaurants means many won’t be able to open, but many doing takeaway may want to put up enough distance tables to start gently serving 10 people at a time,” Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said.

“Some libraries and community centres, again, with only small numbers of people.”

The second stage will expand to allow gatherings of up to 20 people, and includes the opening of gyms, beauty salons, cinemas, galleries and amusement parks, as well as caravan parks and camping grounds.

Some interstate travel will also be allowed, subject to individual state border policies.

A third stage would include gatherings of up to 100 people, the opening of pubs, clubs, food courts and saunas.

This step would also see a return of all interstate travel as well as the possibility of travel to New Zealand.

Prof. Murphy urged Australians to continue to practise social distancing as the restrictions are eased.

“We could lose the battle that we have won so well so far,” he said.

“You only have to look at the nightly news and see what is happening in really good countries with good health systems like Australia, where they let this virus get out of control.”

Prof. Murphy added that international travel and open borders were not on the agenda for the foreseeable future.

Morrison said individual states will “cut and paste” the new roadmap to suit their own circumstances and implement it at their own pace.

National Cabinet will review progress on the restrictions and the coronavirus case load every three weeks to decide when to move to stage two and three.

Step 1: Greater connection with friends and family

  • Five guests in private homes will be allowed
  • Gatherings of up to 10 people in businesses and public spaces will be allowed
  • Restaurants, small cafes and retail stores will reopen
  • Libraries, community centres and playgrounds will reopen
  • Sports training and recreational sport will be allowed in groups of up to 10 people
  • Lap swimmers will be allowed back in pools
  • Boot camps will be allowed to recommence in parks
  • Funerals will be allowed with up to 30 people and weddings will be allowed with up to 10 people

Step 2: Larger gatherings 

  •  Gatherings of up to 20 people will be allowed
  •  Cinemas and galleries will reopen
  •  Gyms, community sport, beauty parlours and amusement parks will reopen

Step 3: Pubs and clubs reopen

  • Gatherings of up to 100 people will be allowed
  • Most workers will be back at their workplace
  • Pubs, clubs, food courts and saunas will reopen
  • Interstate travel will resume totally and travel to New Zealand may be possible