The hospitality sector in Northern Ireland has welcomed the latest relaxation in Covid-19 regulations which it hoped will mark the “beginning of the end for restrictions on hospitality business”.
The Northern Ireland Executive confirmed a range of changes from today (21 st January) including the removal of the requirement to be seated whilst consuming food or drink, compulsory table service for premises that service alcohol and the so-called rule of six which limits the number of people seated at an individual table.
From 26 th January nightclubs will be permitted to open, dancing and indoor standing events can resume and the requirement for Covid-status certification will be removed for all apart from nightclubs and indoor unseated or partially-seated events with 500 people or more.
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Hospitality Ulster Chief Executive Colin Neill welcomed the move.
“This is a welcome step forward for the hospitality industry after another round of crippling restrictions and closures which were imposed on the industry over the Christmas period,” he said. “Punitive restrictions such as Covid passes; all seated; table service only; and the closure of nightclubs were all based on previous modelling which thankfully hasn’t come to pass.
“The planned reopening of nightclubs is also very welcome, but as they were forced to close on the same Omicron modelling there is no reason why they cannot be opened immediately without Covid passes.”
However, Mr Neill said the Executive now needs to quickly remove the remaining Covid restrictions which continue to leave the sector hamstrung.
“Once again, people can sit at the bar and chat to friends in our pubs, they can sit all together at a table in our restaurants and enjoy a break in our hotels without the need for a pass,” he said. “But removal of the remaining Covid restrictions must now be a priority as they continue to impact on trading conditions and we must never go back to such damaging restrictions again.”
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He said hospitality will now be able to start rebuilding.
“The news today will herald a transition for the hospitality sector as it considers the next steps required to build back from lost trade and begins to recover from the last two years of restrictions and closures. Make no mistake, we have a massive task ahead.”
And he was quick to point out that not all hospitality businesses will have made it through the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There is no doubt that the decisions today by the Executive will provide incredible relief to our industry, but it will come too late for some. The work only begins now in building back and pushing forward to reinstate hospitality as the £2bn sector it once was.”