The Victorian Christian community welcomes the Premier’s announcement easing restrictions for churches. For the first time in more than 6 months, Christians can begin to return to worship services in metropolitan and regional Victoria.

Victorians are relieved to see lockdown restrictions easing, but while retail and hospitality sectors can open from 2 November, churches and other faith communities remain in the dark about their future.

Churches are questioning the fairness of Queensland’s roadmap to easing COVID-19 restrictions, surprised by increased restrictions on singing in a worship service.

The Australian Christian Lobby wholeheartedly supports Margaret Court’s exposure of the double standards applied on one hand to Saturday’s local Black Lives Matter Rally and on the other hand to Western Australian churches.

Last Tuesday, the Australian Christian Lobby called out the NSW government’s approach of imposing greater COVID-19 restrictions on churches than on pubs, clubs and restaurants, saying it failed the ‘pub test’.

The Australian Christian Lobby said on Tuesday that NSW lagging church COVID-19 restrictions behind pubs, clubs and restaurants failed the ‘pub test’. Late Thursday, the NSW government got back on track by lifting restrictions on worship services, weddings and funerals, ACL spokesman Dan Flynn said.

The freedom to meet and worship is not only a fundamental human right, it is also an essential community service sustaining spiritual, social and mental wellbeing. The Australian Christian Lobby supports Thursday’s call by Lifepoint Church to lift restrictions on worship meetings.

The Australian Christian Lobby is calling on the NSW Government to mirror for all religious gatherings its 1 June 2020 easing of COVID-19 restrictions for pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants. From 1 June, hospitality venues can have up to 50 customers, but religious gatherings and places of worship can only have up to 10 in attendance.