21 Mar 2020

New rules for hospitality sector under Covid-19

4:35 pm on 21 March 2020

People going to bars, restaurants and casinos will be expected to stay at least a metre away from each other, and venues will have to do head counts to make sure there are no more than a hundred people indoors.

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Photo: 123rf.com

A register of guest details will also have to be kept for four weeks, including full name, address and contact phone and email details.

The government has just issued guidelines, developed with the hospitality sector, following the ban on indoor gatherings of more than 100 people late last week.

Casinos and pubs will have to arrange gaming machines to ensure there's a enough distance between players, and there will be a limit of five people per gaming table.

The new rules will "change the way we attend bars and restaurants", said Health Minister David Clark, but public safety was the priority.

"Many of us look forward to a visit a café or restaurant to mark special occasions or share time with friends and family. My hope is these changes will allow us to still make the most of these times while keeping us all safer", he said.

  • If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs)

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