In an address to the nation today, Mr. Morrison underlined that the ban would be crucial in order to halt the spread of COVID-19, saying that “The decisions they have made is that to put a ban on non-essential gatherings of persons 100 or greater in indoor areas. Outdoor areas it is 500 and indoor areas it is 100. That is effective now, as of today and those arrangements, in terms of the legal enforcement of those measures are being put in place by the states and territories.” International travel has also been banned indefinitely.
Given the dire importance of containing coronavirus, these measures should come as no surprise to most. After the 500 person outdoor gathering ban was implemented days ago, it was inevitable that indoor gatherings would also be implemented, and while all industries will be affected to some extent, it’s important to affirm the impact these measures will have upon the music industry.
As of Saturday March 14, the Australian live music sector has reported a loss of over $100m in income, and smaller venues are already feeling the impact of these measures, pleading for punters to keep attending gigs to keep business going. Some artists have taken to streaming performances online in order to maintain a trickle of income – read more about that here.
Head to I Lost My Gig to see how you can help Australian musicians today.
