While dairies will not close their doors to Kiwis unlike supermarkets and large retailers with looming vaccination certificates, hospitality remains shut despite schools, libraries, museums and retail all reopening in Auckland.
“It’s a land of confusion,” says Sunny Kaushal, chair of the Dairy and Business Owner’s Group.
“Unvaccinated people can spend hours inside retail malls, libraries and museums with no Covid certificate system in place. Schools are reopening to all age groups yet you cannot have a pint in Auckland. Especially when hospitality staff are fully vaccinated.
“Hospitality is being sacrificed until this certificate system is in place and that sucks because it’s ‘wait to Wednesday’ to be drip-fed more information.
“A vaccine passport is not a world first. It’s offered all over the world and we don’t understand why they didn’t buy one off the shelf from another country’s health department. We just keep reinventing the wheel and its us and taxpayers who pay.
“There’s a growing risk that some venues may just open up. I don’t condone this at all but I do understand if it comes to a binary choice between losing your business or remaining shut.
“With supermarkets set to close their doors to unvaccinated Kiwis, we want all New Zealanders to know that they can depend on their local dairy when this certificate system starts. Whenever that is.
“Dairy owners and staff secured vaccination priority several months ago as essential workers. We are confident this provides our people with a level of protection supported by personal protection equipment, social distancing and regular cleaning.
“People have to eat and have access to food and other essentials. We want Kiwis to know, regardless of their status, that they can depend on their local dairy to be there for them as we have been ever since the start of the Pandemic,” Mr Kaushal said.
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Sunny Kaushal
