A second wave of COVID-19 cases forcing the re-closure of businesses could be detrimental and initial easing of restrictions needs to be done carefully, a committee has heard.
It comes as the ACT became the first state or territory in Australia to have no coronavirus cases since the outbreak of the virus.
Canberrans should know by the end of this week how the ACT government intends to start rolling back coronavirus restrictions, Chief Minister Andrew Barr has said.
Canberra Business Chamber interim chief executive officer Graham Catt appearted before the ACT Legislative Assembly select committee on the COVID-19 pandemic response on Thursday. He told them winding back physical distancing restrictions needed to be "carefully managed" to ensure a second wave didn't collapse struggling businesses.
"There needs to be an understanding there are costs involved in running a business and risks involved," he said.
Mr Catt pointed to Singapore as an example where re-tightening restrictions after a second wave of coronavirus cases hit was problematic for business.
"For some businesses that might be the thing that sends them into bankruptcy."
He said some business had the financial resources to participate in trialing the relaxation of rules but particularly smaller entities needed to reopen with "great care".
READ MORE:
- No active cases in the ACT
-
Canberra couples cheer restart of IVF journeys
-
Opposition wants transparency on teachers union's role in remote learning shift
- Canberrans get creative to help families learning, working at home
"It would be good to see road map, a plan laid out for how easing restrictions would work," he said.
Mr Barr said earlier this week he hoped to make an announcement about the territory's first steps out of the shutdown after Friday's national cabinet meeting.
He indicated the restrictions would not be lifted straight away, saying Canberrans would be given prior notice before any changes came into effect.
Mr Catt also told the committee some parts of the ACT business community were struggling long before coronavirus hit Australia in March, with the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors taking a hit from bushfires, smoke pollution and hail.
Mr Catt said health and safety information for business had been plentiful and readily available when the pandemic began to take hold in the ACT, but people struggled to keep up with the speed new announcements were being made.
There was still confusion among employers about the JobKeeper program, however he acknowledged clarity had been provided as to eligibility.
He said if an employer paid a staff member $750 a fortnight but was eligible for the $1500 a fortnight payment, they were unsure of their rights to ask that staff member to work additional hours or perform different duties.
He said a "significant issue" was employers struggling to cover staff wages before the government payment came through.
