Level 3 restrictions

Restaurant owner baffled:

Satori Restaurant owner Lloyd Newton told The Citizen he felt a sense of disbelief when it was announced that restaurants and bars would remain closed during Level 3.

“When one considers that there are strict guidelines put down by the health department for restaurants and bars being allowed to operate, why can’t government incorporate Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines into daily operations?” Newton asked.

He said restaurants and bars could just as easily spread the virus as supermarkets and other social settings.

“It’s unfair that restaurants are not part of this partial reopening – what’s the difference between a church seating 50 people and a restaurant seating 50 people?”

Newton said Satori, like many other restaurants, had implemented stringent health measures to combat Covid-19. This included the regular sanitising of all chairs, tables and menus, social distancing, tables being spread up to one metre apart and all staff being required to wear face shields and carry their own hand sanitiser.

“My business has taken a huge financial knock, as there was no time to prepare for the lockdown. My employees have also felt the impact financially, as we could only carry them financially for so long.”

Newton said in the 14 years he has been in the restaurant business, he had never experienced anything so destructive to the livelihoods of his staff members and his own. – Citizen reporter