New Zealand’s bars reopen

WELLINGTON (AFP) — Wellington pub owner Matt McLaughlin is all smiles as a barman pours his establishment’s first beer in two months, but he remains fearful trouble is brewing for an industry hit hard by coronavirus.

Bars across New Zealand reopened yesterday, following on from retailers and schools to complete the country’s emergence from a strict COVID-19 lockdown that began in late March.

While welcoming the move, McLaughlin said the bars and nightclubs will face a difficult time adjusting to an era of social distancing and contact tracing.

He said Wellington would struggle to maintain the vibrant nightlife that once saw it dubbed “the coolest little capital in the world.”

“We’ve got no shows, no theaters, no movies, no All Blacks Tests and we’re coming into winter, so our market is going to be really, really squeezed,” he told AFP at his Panhead Bar in central Wellington.

Kevin McAree, who runs upmarket winery The Tasting Room, agreed.

“I think we’ve got to be realistic and say it’s going to be pretty rubbish for the next six months,” he said.

“People’s habits have changed (during lockdown). They’re used to maybe having a nice bottle of wine at home and spending a bit more on takeaway food.

“But eventually they’ll want to get out and enjoy themselves.”

Pubs were officially allowed to open from 8 a.m. on Thursday, although as McLaughlin said: “No one’s really gagging for a pint of beer at that hour”.

AFP A man works at a bar on the first day of reopening after establishments were shut for two months due to the coronavirus outbreak in Wellington yesterday.