Retail and hospitality welcome scrapping of mask mandates

Monday, 12 September 2022

Hospitality workers have complained of having to wear masks while serving in hot environments.

Retail and hospitality businesses have welcomed the Government’s decision to scrap all mask wearing requirements for customers.

The changes come into effect at 11.59pm on Monday.

Greg Harford, chief executive of Retail NZ, said the decision to scrap mask mandates was good news for the sector, because it would increase confidence and public compliance was low anyway.

Countdown spokesperson Kiri Hannifin said the supermarket company would “undertake a risk assessment” following the announcement to assess what the changes meant for the business.

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Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford says the removal of mask mandates might take a point of tension away for some shoppers.

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Harford said there had been a feeling of mask fatigue among retail workers for some time.

Harford said he hoped the ending of requirements would remove the point of tension from some aggrieved members of the public.

“This is a big symbolic day that the Government is winding back almost all restrictions that are still in place. I think it will certainly encourage customers to be a little more confident and send a message that it is safe to get back to the shops.”

Rule changes may also help relieve staff shortages, with household contacts of positive cases no longer needing to isolate for seven days.

Household contacts would only be asked to undertake a daily RAT test before going about their life as normal.

Harford said the decision brought New Zealand back in line with most of the rest of the world.

“We applaud the removal of requirement for household contacts to isolate. However, we encourage the Government to review the isolation period for Covid-19 cases within the next four weeks,” he said.

“Other countries have a far more dynamic approach of review and continue to revise isolation periods with most between three to five days as best practice.”

Some mask requirements will remain in place in healthcare and aged care facilities, and pharmacies.

BusinessNZ also welcomed the changes.

Chief Executive Kirk Hope said it was encouraging to see the Government putting trust in individual businesses again.

Restaurant Association of New Zealand chief executive Marisa Bidois

'No two sites are the same and each business can decide what works for their own environment when it comes to minimising the spread of Covid-19,” he said.

'Businesses are highly incentivised to keep employees, customers and visitors safe in order to continue operating.”

Hope said it was important support was left in place while any self-isolation requirements remained, because it allowed people to isolate without suffering financially.

Workers were also less likely to develop long Covid if they did not feel a pressure to return before the seven-day period ended, he said.

All Government vaccine mandates will also end on September 26.

A relief for hospitality

Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois said the industry waved “a hearty goodbye” to the traffic light system.

“Few people like covering their faces, and it is a barrier to providing good personal service,” she said.

“With dwindling Covid infection numbers, public health advice indicating waning transmission rates along with the apparent low impact of Covid disease, it is the right move to make for the industry and the nation.”

The association’s monthly Hospitality Dashboard indicates that revenue is the same or higher for nearly 80% of members.

Optimism was also growing, and the Government’s decision was likely to add to this, Bidois said.

Jacinda Ardern says scrapping mask rules will give businesses confidence for the spring.

In July 20% of the association’s members expected business conditions to improve in the next 12 months. That number increase to 33% in August

Bidois also welcomed changes to self-isolation requirements, but advocated for a test-to-work regime, where workers could return if they tested negative.

A Restaurant Association spokesperson said a survey of members conducted at the end of July found 77% thought the mask regulations for hospitality should be reviewed.

Prior to the announcement only customer-facing staff indoors had to wear masks.

“The main feedback for mask requirements to be removed for staff are the health and safety challenges of working all day in hot, physical environments wearing masks,” the spokesperson said.

“Also the inconsistency with customers not having to wear them but staff having too, so a dining room full of unmasked customers, and staff wearing them doesn’t seem to make sense.”

The traffic light system will be removed from midnight, but support for business and workers would continue through leave support payments.

At the time of the announcement, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that for the first time in two years business could approach summer with the certainty they needed.

“Some places, such as workplaces, special events, or marae may ask you to wear a mask, but this will be at their discretion and no longer a Government requirement,” Arden said.

“Please respect those who choose to keep wearing masks as a form of protection.”