Pubs and restaurants have reacted in anger and despair to indications that the government might act on advice to further delay the full reopening of restaurants and pubs beyond the long-awaited date of July 5.
While Nphet says it is concerned at the threat of the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus, commentators point to the very low level of cases, deaths, and beds occupied in ICUs.
They have also questioned the need for a further extension to the lockdown as the vaccine rollout continues and most of the rest of Europe has opened up.
Restaurateur Paul Treyvaud said that “if indoor hospitality does not reopen July 5th, rural Ireland will be absolutely wiped out this winter. FACT!”
I can not make this any clearer @MichealMartinTD @LeoVaradkar
If indoor hospitality does not reopen July 5th, rural Ireland will be absolutely wiped out this winter. FACT!
— Paul Treyvaud (@PaulTreyvaud) June 24, 2021
Others questioned the need for the lockdown extension.
“Unless hospitalisation changes dramatically, I can’t see any justification for delaying the reopening regardless of cases or variants,” tweeted one response.
https://twitter.com/seanui/status/1408360780232286211
Other Twitter users said the public would support restaurants if they took action and proceeded with the July 5th date. “If #indoorhospitality opens collectively on July 5th, the public will support you all. Strength in numbers. #OpenupIreland,” wrote one customer.
If #indoorhospitality opens collectively on July 5th, the public will support you all. Strength in numbers. #OpenupIreland
— Eamon De Brún (@EamonBrowne) June 25, 2021
Pub owners have also said that the uncertainty and the prospect of further extension of the lockdown had left people in tears.
Padraig Cribben, chief executive of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, said one of his members had been “basically in tears” trying to figure out what was going on.
The Government should have made decisions this week, even if that decision was to delay reopening, he said.
“We would have expected it was going to happen this week,” he said.
“The goalposts have changed, the narrative has changed, we’re left in no man’s land.”
Cribben said many publicans had been planning to bring staff back into work next week, taking them off the pandemic unemployment payment.
“If you come off the PUP, it’s not easy to get back on it. So staffing is an issue.”
Anecdotal evidence suggests that a significant number of small pubs and restaurants will not survive the long lockdown.
Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Robert Troy, said no decision had yet been made.
“No decision in terms of July 5th is going to be made until next week, we’re 10 days away, which is the end of next week. A lot can happen,” he said.