Australian hospitality venues have been dealt another blow, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing even tighter space restrictions for Australian businesses.

In addition to banning gatherings of 100 people or more, indoor venues must now allow four square metres for every one person.

“So for example, if you’ve got a room, if you’ve got a premises that’s 100 square metres, then you can have 25 people in that room,” Scott Morrison said.

“I know these rules will take some time for people to get used to, but I would ask people to move as quickly as they can.

“I know it means a lot of change for a lot of venues, whether they be cafes or restaurants or clubs or any of these other places of public gathering, including at this building here, we will be working to ensure that people know how many people can be in the various meeting rooms at this place.”

The new measures are expected to be particularly crippling to small bars and cafes, where space is at a premium.

It’s the third set of restrictions to hit operators this week, making it even harder for hospitality venues to stay afloat, with many reporting downturns of 50%-90%.

Highly-acclaimed Brisbane restaurant ARC Dining and Wine Bar announced yesterday that it was shutting for good, while in Melbourne, Maha in the CBD, Maha East, Ezard and Gingerboy, will close their doors indefinitely.

You can continue to support the hospitality industry by either dining out or ordering in, with many venues now offering pick-up and takeaway options for the first time. Find the full list here.