Dunedin hospitality businesses are excited by the prospect that mask mandates at bars and restaurants could end soon.
With changes to the Government’s Covid traffic light protection framework signalled, Dunedin hospitality providers spoken to by the Otago Daily Times over the weekend were ecstatic about the prospect of mask rules easing.
The ODT revealed on Friday the Government had called for feedback within 24 hours from disability support providers about a proposal to "significantly narrow" where masks had to be worn.
The present Orange traffic light settings are also due to be reviewed by Cabinet next Monday.
Hospitality Association Dunedin branch president Mark Scully said a relaxation of the requirement for hospitality staff to wear masks would be "very welcome".
Very few customers chose to wear masks and it seemed "a bit crazy" that large numbers of customers could converse with each other unmasked, but not to the relatively fewer number of staff members.
"It appears to be inconsistent," Mr Scully said.
Dropping the requirement would give people choice, he said.
"We certainly wouldn’t say to staff they couldn’t wear a mask, but a lot of people would choose not to wear them."
Whether a customer or staff member chose to wear a mask, that choice would be respected, but many people were feeling safe after having boosters or having caught Covid recently, he said.
No7 Balmac and Esplanade owner Katrina Toovey said her team were "really eager" to be without masks as they were tiring to wear over a full eight-hour shift.
Some staff felt strongly that the masks made it difficult for them to breathe.
"We just allow them to exercise their own discretion about that," Ms Toovey said.
Craft Bar & Kitchen owner John Macdonald said his staff were still wearing masks as required.
"If they [the Government] deem it’s ready to be dropped, we’d be happy to do so," he said.
The Craic Irish Tavern owner Claire Grenfell owner also agreed the move would be a step in the right direction.
When things got really busy and loud, communicating with customers was challenging.
"The bar person can’t understand the customer, the bar person can’t understand the customer.
"Its amazing how much we lip read," she said.
It was unlikely to make much of a difference to levels of staff sickness and her fingers were crossed for a change, she said.
