Bars, restaurants want an end to absurd' safe-zone policy

RESTAURATEUR Peter George is disappointed Government's safe-zone policy has not been discontinued.

On Friday, the Prime Minister announced an easing-up of pandemic restrictions which included allowing those establishments operating as safe zones, for vaccinated or exempted persons and children under 12, to operate at 75 per cent capacity.

On Sunday, George said the safe-zone policy was incoherent. He said the prime minister must recognise "the time has long gone for safe zones to be disbanded because it has not been effective.”

“It has done nothing but impose asymmetrical restrictions on businesses that did not deserve them from my perspective.

“You have restaurants, cinemas, and bars where people cannot work or patronise unless they are vaccinated. But you have banks, pharmacies, supermarkets, hypermarkets, government buildings and so on which are filled with people and you don’t know if they are vaccinated or not.”

With large metropolitan cities around the world rolling back on similar policies, George said there was no global evidence that restaurants are "part of the problem” when it comes to the spread of covid19.

On March 4, New York City mayor Eric Adams announced restaurants and theatres will not require proof of vaccination from Monday.

George also wants to know why the Government backed down on a vaccine mandate for public sector workers but employees in the food, beverage and entertainment industries need to be vaccinated to work.

“The safe zones, to me, are unfair especially now on the heels of the public service being called out.

“The Prime Minister once said they were supposed to be vaccinated by January 14, then he caved in and said February 17… Then he caved in again and now has said the public service will come out and the Government is no longer seeking vaccination requirements for public servants.

"So what does that mean? The government has mandated private businesses and private workers to not come to work unless they are vaccinated under the public health ordinance, but they cannot exercise the same authority on their own stakeholders and employees.

"That in itself is absurd.”

As the country begins transition from pandemic to endemic phase, George said the Government must now rely on people taking personal responsibility for the virus as opposed to mandating “responsible” behaviours.

“The damage done by the safe-zone policy is already done. The question now is not how much more damage will be done, but it is how soon can the recovery start?

“And, I don’t just mean the recovery to get back into profitability. Anybody in my sector, especially in the last two years, will know that the money (we lost) is gone and it will never come back.”

George is the owner of Trent Restaurants Ltd and his chain includes the Trotters, Buzo, Amara, Blue Star Diner, and Tommy’s restaurants.

Meanwhile, although they are now happy bars can operate at 75 per cent, president of the Barkeepers and Owners Association (BOATT) Sateesh Moonasar said the association will continue to "tirelessly lobby" the Government to allow 100 per cent capacity.

He said some establishments were being allowed to "flaunt" covid19 regulations as it related to capacity, while others were being heavily scrutinised.

But, he acknowledged, “It did move to 75 per cent and it is a step in the right direction but that is still left up to the (police) officers.

“Whether you say 50 or 75 per cent capacity, we still have some bars facing the problems of the police officers’ discretion.

“We are asking for the 100 per cent capacity now and hoping for the vaccination policy to be removed within the next few weeks.”

Claiming there are all types of events across the country which mirror safe zone settings – with the exception of needing proof of vaccinations - Moonasar questioned the rationale for the safe-zone policy being continued.

As part of the roll back of restrictions announced by Dr Rowley in Parliament on Friday, from today, families will no longer have to be masked in their vehicles or any marine vessel used by them.

Mask use will remain in all public spaces and places where there is public interaction. Public transport will return to 100 per cent capacity and passengers will have to remain masked.

There were also decreases in quarantine and isolation times while the public can gather in groups of no more than 25.

Team and contact sports will also now be allowed and he said once there are no "dangerous changes" in TT's covid19 position, all children will return to physical school in term three in April.

Also from today, all public servants will return to work as normal as the public service will return to full service.