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The bars are urging people to be more vigilant about the risk of Covid-19 during Labor Day weekend and emphasize the need to scan with the Covid tracking app or log in manually.
A Christchurch bar co-owner asks people to be dissatisfied with using the contract tracking app.
Photo: RNZ / Nathan McKinnon
Hundreds of Auckland residents queued for hours to get tested yesterday after a person, unknowingly carrying the virus, visited a busy pub in Greenhithe last Friday.
There is a concern that people will not comply with Covid precautions, such as using the contact tracing app.
The pubs in the city center are still packed, but the folks at Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen admit to some concerns. Samuel Goa was with his friend and co-workers at the bar.
“It is quite concerning because you know it is a community case, which means how did they detect it and who else has been infected?” he said.
Despite the fear, there is little desire to change Labor’s weekend plans. Andrew Sok said New Zealand is doing well compared to other countries and will follow official health rules.
“It wouldn’t necessarily affect him. I’d say he would be a little more cautious, but it would probably still come out,” he said.
Most of the people RNZ spoke to claimed that they have been diligently using Covid’s contact tracing app, but the truth is that scan counts are plummeting.
Official statistics show that 2.5 million used the app on September 5. By Tuesday of this week, that number had dropped to less than 370,000.
Grady Elliot, who is the operations manager for several bars in Auckland, including Family bar, Saloon Bar and Bamboo Tiger, said that they will ask all customers to scan or sign this weekend.
“In one of our nightclubs, we could have like 500 people hanging out tonight at various points in the night, so we don’t want to end up with 500 people running and one or two all of a sudden get a dose of Covid and it spreads quickly.”
Elliot said it would make life easier for bar and pub owners if the government introduced a “do not scan, do not enter” policy, so if people do not use the Covid app or log in, they could be denied entry. to the facility and said that could happen in the future.
It’s hard for bars and clubs to act to prevent the virus without being at level 2 when they are required to keep everyone seated and implement social distancing, he said.
“Because when you have a dance floor and you have a DJ playing, everyone wants to get up and mix and just dance on the floor after being at level 2 for so long.”
Elliot said that if there are more Covid cases in the community, the government might have to look for more rules.
“Definitely numbers, it could be that there is a maximum of 100 people and people spaced so that they are not all crammed together on a dance floor and we may have a situation where we have 100 people in the nightclub and on a base.” .
Elliot said his nightclub currently has lines on the street with people wanting to enter on Friday or Saturday nights.
With just nine weeks to go until Christmas, the last thing people need is Level 2 or Level 3 rules in place in the coming weeks and the other concern is that Auckland locals will travel out of town and may carry the virus elsewhere part, he said.
Despite that, Elliot said he hopes things will stay the same this weekend.
A Sweat Shop supervisor, William Parry, said that with a busy, busy weekend, staff members will now make sure people check in.
“If there are any random outbreaks in the community, contact tracing will be significantly easier, and we are less likely to revert to lockdown and better for everyone,” he said.
Mezze Bar manager Aras Ilkmen said it is disappointing to hear about new community cases.
Your bar also requires customers to sign in and make sure they are seated and served by the same bartender or waitress. They have also separated the tables more.
“I just wish everyone was basically more careful and you know, stop spreading the virus,” he said.
In Christchurch, Moon Under Water bar co-owner Matt Kamstra said that people in his city will not be intimidated by the new cases, but said some people have become complacent and don’t use the contact tracing app like they do. often.
“It’s getting fewer and fewer as the weeks go by. We tried very hard to do it, even later we went to level 2, which was stressful, but especially with many other places not doing what they are supposed to do.” He said.
However, on the streets of Christchurch, people were indicating that they will probably now be more vigilant, as one man said.
“I’m concerned enough to take out my smartphone and scan every time I go out.”
Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said people need to get used to using the Covid tracking app every time they venture out.
