Indoor hospitality to reopen to those with Digital Covid Certificates
Indoor hospitality is preparing to reopen in a ‘cautious but progressive’ manner and the NPHET advice of June 28 is to be implemented. This will see indoor restaurant and bar services reopened to the fully vaccinated and those that have recovered from Covid19 in the previous six months.
Mossy Moore, proprietor of The Latch restaurant in Tallow, said that while the situation is ‘not ideal’, their indoor restaurant will be reopening.
The Latch has been welcoming returning customers to their outdoor seating area at the back of the restaurant where a marquee has been set up.
Speaking with The Avondhu this week, Mr Moore who welcomed the return of indoor dining, did however, stress that the new guidelines were ‘not ideal’.
“It’s not ideal but we’ll do anything to reopen at this stage. We have been running the outdoor dining but outdoors is very weather dependant. We have health and safety measures in place and indoors, the restaurant is a lot more controlled,” Mr Moore said.
Café Ed in Fermoy have also been operating an outdoor dining space which proprietor Ed McCarthy said is often full, albeit with limited seating. A parklet style area was set up on the main street outside the café to provide an area where customers could dine safely.
“I welcome the return of indoor dining. We’ve had a difficult few months but even the outdoor dining has made a massive difference. Getting people inside again will definitely be welcome,” Ed said
According to government guidelines, members of the public will be able to avail of indoor services on the presentation of ‘ verifiable evidence’ of vaccination or immunity status.
New Digital Covid Certificates are now being implemented in Ireland in line with other EU countries which can be used by members of the public as evidence of being fully vaccinated.
Digital Covid Certificates are free and there are four different types of certificates, depending on whether an individual is fully vaccinated, recovered from Covid or has tested negative.
Fully vaccinated people will receive the cert by e-mail or by post beginning this week, while those recovered from Covid can request their’s through a helpline, with details on this to follow.
CUSTOMER REACTION
The topic of the Digital Covid Certificates has been a contentious one recently, with some restaurateurs claiming the onus of checking certificates should not be the place of the hospitality sector.
However, for Mossy Moore of The Latch in Tallow, the topic is not a problematic one, as he stated he had had discussions on the matter already. “It’s not that complicated, all you’re doing is checking a cert. It would only take a matter of seconds,” he said.
Ed McCarthy of Cafe Ed, however, noted that he is ‘worried’ about the public reaction to the new guidelines.
“We will be reopening the indoor dining once we are given the government go-ahead but I am worried about offending regular customers. I’ve heard people reacting to the new guidelines and I’m worried about the backlash that staff might have to face because of it.
“We’re basically going to have to ask people for ID and it’s definitely going to be hard for the first couple of weeks. It’s going to be difficult,” he said.
Children under 18, accompanied by a vaccinated or recovered adult parent or guardian can also be admitted for indoor services.
So as to ensure a safe and sustained reopening, social distancing measures will remain in place in order to protect workers and children in such premises in line with discussions with unions and the hospitality sector.
Pub, restaurant and café operators and hotels will be required to comply with the Government’s Work Safely protocol for the protection of workers and public health social distancing.
Detailed operational guidelines for reopening are to be published by Fáilte Ireland.
When fully reopened, The Latch will be taking both bookings and walk-ins as Mossy said: “We are just trying to get back to normal”.
Cafe Ed will also be operating similarly to how they did during the pre-Christmas reopening, with bookings and walk-ins welcome, and all necessary safety and public health measures in place.
PUBLICANS ‘OPTIMISTIC’ ABOUT REOPENING
A number of bar owners TheAvond
hu catchment are welcoming the news that they will be allowed to welcome a certain cohort back indoors, and are encouraging the public to work with the vaccination programme in order for full reopening and normality to resume down the line.
However, at least one local councillor believes the guidelines are ‘segregating’ younger people, and the move is disproportionately affecting the younger generation.
Eileen Casey, manager at The Hunters Rest in Mitchelstown, is looking forward to welcoming the cohort that are allowed back indoors.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming people back - well, welcoming the vaccinated back! It’s great to be open in some capacity anyway. We’re blessed here in Mitchelstown, the pharmacies that are offering the vaccine have been very proactive and I’m hearing of a lot of young people who are vaccinated, so that’s great.”
“There has been a huge uptake in the vaccination programme here in Ireland, so I’m hoping that that will stand to us and we’ll get there, slowly but surely. With time we’ll start to see the occasions coming back out too - birthdays, meals out, people will have the option of moving it out of the house and back to pubs and restaurants.”
On how the policing of the vaccination will work, Eileen believes the government should undertake a public health campaign to remind the public that by cooperating with the current guidelines, they are helping to support full reopening.
Patrick Mansfield of The Haven Bar in Killavullen, is welcoming the move, and as his bar has both indoor and outdoor facilities, is looking forward to catering for all customers.
“We’re in business already outdoors, and so far it’s going grant - it’s better than being closed anyway! Because we have both inside and outside, we can still serve people who as yet aren’t vaccinated, outside.”
“It’s great for the community to be open again. We’re in a rural area, and so our customers tend to be of a slightly older age who have largely got their vaccinations by now anyway. In any case, I believe that younger people are taking up the vaccines and are enthusiastic about getting on board with the guidance. We’re looking forward to welcoming people indoors and outdoors, and seeing them in the future.”
YOUNG PEOPLE ‘SEGREGATED’
However, Cllr William O’Leary is welcoming the news with some reservations. While happy to see business reopen, Cllr O’Leary believes the mantra that ‘we’re all in this together’ is ‘somewhat laughable at this stage’.
“Of course, I welcome the news that businesses will be able to reopen, and I send my best wishes to them. However, this guidance means that the cohort that will be affected most by this legislation, again, are the young people. This cohort have suffered through their education, at both second and third level, and their other activities, like sport. If they had a part-time job they more than likely have lost it, and again they are to be segregated until they can get the vaccine.”
“I understand that this is no-one person’s fault - this is the virus that caused all of this - but by the time the bulk of these young people are vaccinated it will be the end of the summer”.
Cllr O’Leary believes that the hospitality industry has already proved that it can manage groups of people indoors successfully.
“I will agree that we possibly opened up too much at Christmas, and that didn’t help, but last summer the hospitality sector showed that they were capable of managing groups of people indoors and it was very successful. At the height of this virus, restrictions were necessary, but the slogan ‘ we’re all in this together’, is laughable at this stage.”