New Zealand

Indefinite red light setting killing business

Hospitality businesses facing insolvency further gutted by government decision

Hospitality New Zealand (HNZ) says holding the traffic light setting at Red indefinitely is gutting for many businesses already teetering on the brink of insolvency.

HNZ chief executive, Julie White said with the country seemingly past the Omicron peak, businesses were rightly expecting a strong indication on when a move would be made to an Orange setting.

“But to get nothing at all is particularly gutting,” Ms White said suggesting businesses need to be given a date in order to plan ahead.

“If not actual movement, then maybe a date so they could plan would have been better than nothing,” she said.

“Every day we’re in Red is another day of struggle for venues up and down the country that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

“The uncertainty is a business-killer. I’m not sure how much more they can take.

Ms White said her organisation was grateful for the lift in the number allowed in indoor settings that led to an increase in patronage.

“But in reality, that affected only a small part of the industry, and we were really counting on something that would give much wider relief,” she said.

“The Government says we need customers to go out but that’s been our point all along – they just aren’t doing that in this artificial lockdown.

“They claim lifting those restrictions would be beneficial but for most there’s no help at all.

“What’s the difference between sitting in a stadium with thousands of others and going to a café or restaurant later? There’s none, so why do customers have to remain seated and separated.

“The Prime Minister has already acknowledged the virus spread in hospitality is low, so why do we keep being penalised?

On a more positive note, Ms White said she was pleased the requirement for businesses to ask for a vaccine pass is no longer required.

“The system was useful in its day, but people must remember it doesn’t stop you from catching Covid-19, or make you any less infectious.,” she said.

“There has also been a lot of push-back on the use of the passes from customers refusing to show it or causing trouble, so removing the requirement addresses that, along with one of the major impediments to standard hospitality operation.”

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