The Northern Territory has announced it will begin lifting many of its lockdown restrictions, with cafes, restaurants and bars permitted to reopen on May 15.

The NT has just 28 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which only three are still current. No new cases have been reported for the last fortnight.

Outdoor weddings and funerals will be allowed to take place from Friday, with no limit on the number of attendees. Meanwhile, parks, pools and playgrounds will reopen on Saturday.

Restaurants, cafes and bars will resume trade from May 15, with venues required to complete a safety plan first to ensure businesses adhere to social distancing and good hygiene.

Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Michael Gunner said: “For businesses and organisations that open or expand operations under these rules, they will need to have a COVID-19 management plan in place.

“This will be a simple checklist to show how your venue can adhere to physical distancing, hygiene and cleaning principles.”

New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have also begun easing restrictions, with NSW allowing visitations of two adults to another household from Friday. Victoria has chosen not to ease restrictions just yet, despite a fall in the number of cases.