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The Restaurant Association seeks an urgent meeting with the Government on proposals to close the hospitality sector after Christmas.
The Cabinet will meet Tuesday to consider the measure, after the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) advised that restaurants and pubs that serve food should close after Christmas.
The government is expected to choose December 30 as the closing date, while at the same time restricting home visits to another home.
However, inter-county travel is likely to continue through January 6.
Co-owner of Cornerstore and Coqbull restaurants in Cork, Mike Ryan, says the indecision is frustrating.
“It’s like ‘Are we going to level 3+?’ or ‘Are restaurants going to enter a level 5 lockdown and we’re only ready for takeout?’ or ‘Are we outside with 15 people?’
“This is the problem. Companies have to be able to plan ahead, we cannot plan. We live from day to day and that is not good for the mental health of us or our staff.”
The ISME business group has also expressed concern ahead of the new measures, saying it is time for other measures to be considered to suppress the growing number of cases.
Chief Executive Neil McDonnell says a pre-New Year lockdown is catastrophic news for hotel companies.
“We appreciate that, given the direction of the infection numbers, there will be a reaction from the Government, but we are frustrated that the lockdown appears to be the only solution that the Government continues to offer to the Covid-19 numbers.
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“We have been asking since the beginning of November that the government consider a broader set of measures in accordance with the recommendations of the WHO (World Health Organization).”
One of the sectors within hospitality that has been most affected by the closure measures has been wet pubs, and the executive director of the Licensed Vintners’ Association, Donal O’Keefe, said the impact is devastating for pubs of all country.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. We go to closing number three and we don’t see any hope for our future, no plans for the future of the hospitality industry.
“We ask the government to sit down with us to develop a plan for the reopening of bars on a sustainable basis.”
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