RESTAURANTS NOT YET CHEERING THE VACCINE BUBBLE

Mother’s Day bookings are mediocre despite the new rules, say operators, many of whom do not yet qualify for relaxed restrictions under them

The “vaccine bubble” scheme arrived just in time for Mother’s Day today, but restaurant owners are not cheering yet.

Although many have seen an increase in reservations for the day, they say their bookings are nothing like last year, let alone before the pandemic.

Many are also grappling with the requirements for the various categories of the vaccine bubble scheme, which allows restaurants to accept more customers and offer dine-in services till later depending on the vaccination status of patrons and staff.

On Thursday, only about 300 of the city’s more than 16,000 restaurants had met the requirements for the new “type C” arrangements, said Simon Wong Ka-wo, head of the Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades.

Restaurants in this category can have up to six diners per table and offer dine-in services until midnight, provided their staff have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and customers use the government’s tracing app, LeaveHomeSafe.

Wong said most restaurants were still implementing type B arrangements, which allowed for up to four people per table, with dine-in service till 10pm. Staff in those restaurants have to be tested for the coronavirus fortnightly, and patrons are allowed to simply write down their personal details as opposed to using the app.

“It’s hard for most restaurants to meet the type C requirements.

So this year’s Mother’s Day is just about 70 per cent of last year’s business,” Wong said.

Last year saw many more restaurant bookings, as the government announced a more thorough relaxation of restrictions on restaurants in the run-up to Mother’s Day.

Wong said he had not heard of any establishment implementing the new type D arrangements, which allow up to eight diners per table, with dine-in service running until 2am, provided staff are fully vaccinated and patrons have received at least one jab. Type D restaurants can also operate at 75 per cent capacity, compared to half for all others.

Some restaurants are even sticking with the most restrictive type A arrangements, which cap the number of guests per table at two and require dine-in service to end at 6pm, but with no rules for testing staff or contact tracing for patrons.

Since the vaccine bubble scheme came into effect on April 29, some restaurants have split their premises into two sections, one operating under the old type

B rules and the other adhering to the new type C ones.

Theo Yan, the owner of Fresh Seafood Restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, was prepared to set aside six to eight tables for six diners each, but decided the move would not make much difference for Mother’s Day.

“Most of the bookings we have so far are for tables of four,” he said. “Six per table only adds two more, and this is not comparable to big tables of 10 or 12 that allow families to gather together.”

The main impediment to many restaurant owners taking advantage of the vaccine bubble arrangements is that most of their staff have not had their jabs yet.

As of yesterday, more than one million people had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and only 648,877 – or about 8 per cent of the city’s population – had also had their second.

A lack of jabs is one of the reasons the three-floor London Chinese Restaurant in Mong Kok is among those staying with the old type B arrangements.

“Only around 70 out of our 200 employees – 30 per cent – have had the vaccine,” said William So Man-sing, vice-general manager.

“The bookings for Mother’s Day are not very ideal, with business around 75 per cent compared with previous years,” he said. “Because only four people are allowed per table, customers from one family have to be separated to different tables.”

Under the rules, the restaurant must also ensure that patrons at different tables who know each other do not mingle.

Pirata’s Chaiwala Indian restaurant in Central has a type C zone, theoretically allowing for tables of six and later service hours, but 95 per cent of bookings have been for smaller groups and no later than 10pm.

It’s hard for most restaurants to meet the type C [vaccination] requirements

SIMON WONG, INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE