Today, Scott Morrison has announced that states and territories can drop their social distancing restrictions for small venues down from four square-metres per person to two.

A panel of medical experts has advised the government that the measure would be safe to implement.

“Today, we also agreed and noted the advice of the Medical Expert Panel that the two square-metre rule can be moved to for smaller premises,” the Prime Minister said.

“Smaller premises will be determined by the jurisdictions but, as a rule, that’s around about 100 square-metres.”

“That means for much smaller premises that would have otherwise been trying to stick to a four square-metre rule arrangement, this just gives a bit more room for them to be taking more patrons.”

It is now up to the states and territories to put the recommendation into play.

“So where jurisdictions choose to do that, it is up to them to make those decisions,” Mr Morrison said.

The new restrictions have already been taken up in Western Australia and Tasmania.