Step 2 in Waikato and a promised move next week to Step 2 in Auckland is
not just long overdue, but retailers will need cafes and restaurants
reopening to get shoppers back in numbers.
"Retail and hospitality are peas in a pod," says Sunny Kaushal, chair of
the Dairy and Business Owners Group who also has interests in
hospitality.
"We don't think the government or the Prime Minister understands how bad
things are for retail and hospitality under Alert Level 3.
"That's why I have an open invitation for any Minister in Auckland to
come and work with us for a few hours. That way they can report to
Cabinet what they saw for themselves.
"It's why reopening retail without hospitality does not make sense.
There's little incentive to get into the shops if food and drink are
just a hole-in-the-wall experience. That's not how we're going to turn
this delta disaster around that's cost small businesses in Auckland a
billion dollars.
"There's a mass of inconsistencies when all we want is a fair shake of
the stick. We've also got 11 more days until the revised resurgence
support payment kicks in as well.
"Why is it safe for thousands of school students to go back to school
where they'll mix all day, yet it's not okay for the fully vaccinated
customers to be served by fully vaccinated hospitality workers?
"Talking of that, where are both the Covid-19 passport and a law change
clarifying employment laws and Covid-19?," Mr Kaushal asked.