Lone Star New Lynn gets $24,000 fine for breaching vaccine mandate

Tuesday, 25 January 2022

Lone Star New Lynn has been fined for not having a system to check vaccine passes, and allowing unvaccinated staff to work. (File photo)

An Auckland restaurant that advertised roles on the No Jab Job website last month has been fined $24,000 for breaching the vaccine mandate.

Damned Fine Food, which operates Lone Star New Lynn, was issued two infringement notices on Friday and fines for breaches of the vaccine mandate.

“One for allowing unvaccinated staff to carry out work when required to be vaccinated and the other for not having effective systems and processes to check Covid-19 Vaccine Certificate (CVC) compliance,' a WorkSafe spokesman said.

Each has an associated penalty of $12,000.

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“WorkSafe wishes to note the actions of the New Lynn restaurant do not reflect the main company Lone Star, which has expressed a strong commitment to following the requirements of the Covid-19 Protection Framework,' he said.

Lone Star has been approached for comment.

Under the red setting of the traffic light system, restaurants can serve up to 100 people seated.

Oliver MMA has been issued three infringement notices since December for breaching the Covid-19 protection framework.

But vaccine passes must be shown and verification is advised.

If businesses do not comply with My Vaccine Pass requirements they can only offer contactless service and cannot open at all under the red setting, unless offering takeaways.

Last month, Lone Star New Lynn posted an advertisement for wait staff on the No Jab Jobs website.

The No Jab Jobs website was created to help unvaccinated people leaving their jobs due to their vaccination status find employers willing to take them on.

The ad was removed from the site a few days later.

A New Lynn gym, Oliver MMA, also breached the Covid-19 protection framework.

The gym has been issued three infringement notices, for allowing unvaccinated staff to carry out work when required to be vaccinated, and for not having effective systems and processes to check CVC compliance.