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The bars will have to wait another week after alert level 2 starts to open, as they represent “the greatest risk,” says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
But a Wellington bar owner says the delay could be the final nail in the coffin for many establishments in the struggling hotel industry.
Ardern announced on Monday the government’s decision to move to Level 2 starting Thursday, beginning with the reopening of stores, shopping malls, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and other public spaces, including playgrounds and gyms.
Kevin Stent / Things
Hospitality New Zealand Wellington Branch President Matt McLaughlin at Panhead, one of their Wellington bars.
Schools would reopen the following Monday, while bars would reopen on Thursday, May 21 using the “three S” requirements established last week: individual, separate and seated service.
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“We have left the bars until the end because they represent the greatest risk,” Ardern said.
He pointed to South Korea, which reported an increase in new cases of coronavirus linked to nightclubs.
Ardern said that the definition of a bar was a place where the main purpose was to drink. This meant that pubs that offered meals could be considered restaurants and could open earlier.
Restaurants and bars cannot take group reservations for more than 10 people.
Supplied / Stuff
You cannot reserve a table for more than 10 people, as public meetings will be limited.
“This along with social distancing is our insurance policy,” said Ardern.
Hospitality New Zealand Wellington branch president Matt McLaughlin, owner of the Danger Danger and Panhead bars, said the announcement had been a “really disappointing surprise” for the bar owners, who had been asking the government for more support.
“As an industry, we are gutted. We are the forgotten industry, although today we do not forget, we were pushed to the end of the line.”
When asked if he thought the bars represented the greatest risk, McLaughlin said that although they were not health experts, Hospitality New Zealand had been working with the Government on how they could create safe environments and offered options on how they could manage their installations. No danger.
“It seems like they’re not taking them into account, and they’re pushing it even further, that’s really disappointing.”
The hotel industry was losing $ 40 million in revenue each day, he said.
“There are 170,000 people employed in the hospitality industry in New Zealand, and we forecast that up to 40 percent of those jobs will disappear.”
“Every day we close makes things harder and harder. Being closed for another 10 days … I just don’t know how some places are going to survive.”
McLaughlin said the industry had “no love,” and was not receiving help.
“It was also disappointing to hear the Prime Minister say that she worked with the hospitality association to develop these guidelines and that is not true at all. We were told about the rules an hour earlier. Telling someone what the rules are is not working with the sector “.
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Sarah Meikle, director of the Wellington on a Plate festival and executive director of the Wellington Culinary Events Trust said the announcement was a “blow” to Wellington’s hospitality sector.
A spokesman for the minister of commerce and consumer affairs, Kris Faafoi, said that “national representatives of the Hospitality Association and Restaurant Association have been involved in the discussions.”
Sarah Meikle, of Visa Wellington On a Plate and Wellington Culinary Trust, said she was “a bit surprised” as the rules had been “quite clearly” set up with bars and restaurants planning how Tier 2 would affect them and how they could operate.
“I appreciate the health requirements, but I think the biggest challenge is that not all bars are created equal. Not all bars are large and full of people who drink,” he said.
“I understand why there is a general rule … but no two bars are the same.”
Meikle said the announcement was a “real hit” for bar owners who had been closed for several weeks.
“They also can’t take advantage of the takeout or delivery market, unless they have a food offering.”
Despite that, Meikle said he believed a large majority of the hospitality sector was breathing a “big sigh of relief” that they (restaurants in particular) could operate again.
“I can only speak for the people we work with, but they have greatly appreciated the support of the Wellington community.”
