Earlier this week, it was reported that at least nine Queenstown hospitality venues were shut by the Ministry of Health after visits by two customers instantly made at least 16 staff close contacts, requiring them to isolate.
Hospitality NZ (HNZ) CEO, Julie White says the shutdown is the first of its kind, showing that the 10 and 14-day stand-down rule for community infections and their close contacts is about to ravage supply lines, work, and social life.
The shutdown, she said, will devastate business owners, and change the lives of workers and their friends and families.
Republic Hospitality Group (RHG) which owns 11 businesses in Queenstown, was forced to shut seven venues with staff being forced to isolate after coming into contact with two infected customers.
RHG CEO, Blair Impey, said the sudden shut down came as a shock.
“We didn’t know there was COVID in Queenstown. On day one, 16 staff were forced to isolate. Now we have seven venues shut, and with this momentum, all staff will be out, meaning all venues will be shut by some stage.
“That’s not on COVID – that’s the impact of the isolation and stand down rules,” he said.
Mr Impey said the Ministry of Health didn’t care about who served the infected customers, or who was near them.
“They decided everyone should be declared a close contact, they showed no regard for our efforts to separate our tables and servers by sections, so in the event of a close contact, only the server would be asked to isolate. Instead they just asked the whole team and all customers to isolate,” he said.
“This approach of getting everyone to self-isolate by being somewhat near a positive case, will spark an inferno across the work and social life of New Zealand.
“At this rate it’s going to be mayhem for hospitality, and this then affects the vibrancy of each town in New Zealand,” he said.
“This is worse than any lockdown. We’ve got costs to pay for each venue, without the income. This stand-down period is a losing game for every hospitality venue once COVID takes hold further.”
“If they’re determined to shut us down to stamp COVID out, then it’s only fair they balance that with the wage subsidy and the resurgence payment.
“The Government must come to its senses and see the rapid ripple effect these rules have on communities and businesses. At the moment they have not indicated a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Mike Parker-Brown is a UK-trained and qualified journalist and an award-winning travel communicator with more than 30 years experience.
Since 2002, Mike has worked as a freelance writer and PR consultant providing his services to major organisations in Australia and internationally in the tourism, aviation, hospitality, recruitment and export marketing sectors.
