Covid 19 coronavirus: Police investigate vomiting customers, Covid breaks down at 90-guest party at Dunedin pub

People vomiting on a balcony and Level 2 breaches are among a series of problems to 90 people kneeling in a Dunedin bar that police are investigating.

Officers were called to Dive, formerly known as The Cook, at 11:30 p.m. Friday after reports of people smoking cannabis and throwing cigarette butts into a cardboard trash can.

Acting Sergeant Major Anthony Bond said police did not locate cannabis when they arrived at the scene, but were told that people had been vomiting on the balcony.

There were also violations of Covid Alert Level 2 restrictions. The 90 people present were not seated and there was no table service.

The bar staff stated that they did not have to follow those rules because it was a private function, he said.

The security guard presented an expired license and there was confusion as to who the duty manager was – the person whose name was on the duty manager’s board said that the person behind the bar was actually in charge.

“This will be followed up by the alcohol damage team,” Bond said.

Dive operator Mike McLeod said that as far as he knew, police had no behavioral problems at the event, which was a 21st party.

He said they had investigated the alert level rules and did not believe restrictions such as sitting or providing table service would apply to private functions.

According to the government’s Covid-19 website, social gatherings at level 2 are limited to 100 people and physical distancing should be maintained whenever possible.

McLeod didn’t notice anyone was vomiting on the balcony.

“They were really pretty good.”

As for the security guard, McLeod believed that he had the full license and did not know that the license was expired.

“As far as I know, the police had no problems.”