Perth LGBTIQ+ venues Connections Nightclub and The Court Hotel have announced they will be closed until further notice.
The two Northbridge nightclubs both announced on social media today that they will be temporarily shutting their doors in line with government advice regarding COVID-19.
“As many of you are will now be aware, Connections has made the decision to close the venue with immediate effect to comply with Government measures to maintain public health in Western Australia,” Connections published on social media.
“This has been a decision like no other in our almost 45 year history and taken with great pain. We have delayed making this announcement to ensure we had time to inform our staff, performers, contractors and suppliers and to give them time to digest this before any public announcement.”
The Court also took to Facebook to make the announcement.
“The Court has been following the virus situation and has made the heartbreaking decision to close. We understand the massive impact this has on our staff, entertainers and suppliers and we are so sorry.”
“We wish everyone around the world good health during this time. Please look after yourselves and the people around you. We will return, more fabulous than ever, probably with a rainbow or two.
Both venues will continue to keep the community updated through their Facebook pages.
UPDATE (18/03 2:51pm): The Court has announced it will remain open with new operating guidelines based on new advice from the federal and state Health Departments.
“The state government has just clarified the guidance given to venues to manage the Coronavirus situation and to help save the economy and jobs. They are encouraging people to support their local businesses and to continue to go out to pubs, clubs and restaurants.”
“As you all saw this morning The Court decided to close based on the information we had at the time. Given the information in this latest press conference, we are going to instead change the way we operate to suit the guidelines given. This will allow us to keep some of our staff employed.”
“We want to be clear that this is NOT about making money, this is about keeping some of our staff employed.”
The new guidelines announced today by the Department of Health has recommended limits on internal gatherings to fewer than 100 people, and outdoor gatherings remain capped at 500.
OIP Staff
