Restaurants Association unhappy with Level extension

Restaurant and bar owners around the country say they need more government help if they are to survive another 10 days of the current Covid-19 restrictions. Yesterday's Alert Level announcement means that Auckland's bars and restaurants still need to limit patrons to 100, in groups no larger than 10, meaning many are still turning people away at the doors. And owners in other parts of the country are disappointed that Level 2 is continuing for another week. Despite the Prime Minister saying Treasury figures reflect a positive economic 'bounceback' under Alert Level 2.5, the Restaurants Association says it's certainly not 'business as usual', with some surviving operators receiving only 60 percent of their usual takings. Nicola Waldron, the general manager of the Restaurants Association, told Alex Perrottet the economic strain is compounded by the the stress of uncertainty, and businesses need more than wage subsidies.