Overview
The COVID-19 situation in Australia is changing every day, with the federal government first implementing a ban on non-essential events with more than 500 people and then mandating that everyone arriving from overseas self-isolate for 14 days. In response to the first restriction, events and venues around the country are cancelling and postponing their 2020 plans, as well as temporarily closing — including Brisbane's popular Eat Street Northshore.
In a statement, the riverside spot announced that the Prime Minister's ban on gatherings of more than 500 people meant that "Eat Street Northshore will be closing temporarily". This is an indefinite shuttering, with no end date set as yet. The venue will reopen "when we have the all clear to do so," it continued.
Eat Street Northshore's last day of operation was Saturday, March 14, with the site closed from Sunday, March 15 onwards. Usually, it runs between Friday–Sunday weekly, attracting large crowds to peruse its more than 70 food and drink vendors.
Eat Street Northshore joins a growing list of cancelled events and closed venues, with large swathes of cinemas shutting across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and theme parks doing the same in Asia, Europe and the US as well. We've also seen the cancellation of Texan music and film festival South by Southwest and postponement of Coachella. More locally, the Melbourne Grand Prix, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Tasmania's Dark Mofo, the Sydney Royal Easter Show and Vivid Sydney have all been cancelled.
Eat Street Northshore's site at 221D Macarthur Avenue, Hamilton is closed until further notice. For more information, visit the venue's website.
To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.