Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Staff stand down rules could cause mayhem for hospitality sector

Covid-19 isolation and staff stand-down rules will cause an inferno of disruption across the hospitality sector and the country, a Queenstown business owner has warned.

Hospitality business owners were facing major costs and getting no financial support while carrying a burden for public health, Republic Hospitality Group chief executive Blair Impey said.

"This approach will spark an inferno across the work and social life of our nation — it's going to be mayhem," Impey said.

On Saturday, nine of his 11 businesses in the group were shut.

"That's not on Covid — that's the impact of the isolation and stand-down rules."

Four of the businesses were open yesterday.

Impey had 25 staff in isolation.

Two had tested positive for Covid-19.

"A lot of staff are sitting at home with negative test results."

The system was costing his business thousands of dollars a day, he said.

He warned of its impact on Queenstown.

The number of Queenstown Covid-19 locations of interest grew through the weekend.

They ranged from a gym and a hairdresser to people who watched the Jackass Forever film at Reading Cinemas last Wednesday from 7pm.

Cromwell Medical Practice was listed as a location of interest last week.

Dr Greg White. Photo / ODT

GP Greg White said all staff had tested negative and the practice would be running with stringent precautions.

It would try to keep to a minimum the number of people in the waiting room and carry out more work over the phone, he said.

Dr White was still waiting for his practice to receive rapid antigen tests ordered from the Ministry of Health.

He expected Covid case numbers to escalate this week and for there to be a lot of demand for testing.

Firefighters from the Winton volunteer brigade were isolating after being identified as close contacts of a positive Covid-19 case.

A statement posted on Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) Southland's Facebook page said the crew was following official health advice.

Emergencies in the Winton community would be responded to by crews from Browns, Dipton, Wallacetown and Invercargill stations, a Fenz spokeswoman said.