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Aussie Restaurant And Cafe Owners Want The Option To Refuse Unvaccinated Customers

Aussie Restaurant And Cafe Owners Want The Option To Refuse Unvaccinated Customers

More than half of those surveyed were 'concerned' about not knowing who they were serving.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Nearly a quarter of Australian restaurant and cafe owners believe they should have the right not to serve unvaccinated customers.

Debate is rife over whether the Covid-19 jab should be mandatory in different areas of society.

Australia is still suffering large-scale outbreaks of the virus as health workers race to vaccinate as many people as possible.

Qantas has already revealed it will force passengers to prove whether they have been vaccinated against the virus and this mentality could also be enforced at big entertainment events.

Interestingly, 24 per cent of cafe and restaurant owners want to join that crusade and have the power to turn unvaccinated people away.

PA

The Hospovitality Index Report from food delivery firm Deliveroo unveiled how hospitality owners feel about the road out of the pandemic and many admit vaccination is the only way to ensure we don't suffer more outbreaks and lockdowns.

Out of the more than 400 restaurants under Deliveroo, 53 per cent reported feeling 'concerned' about the potential of serving customers who might not have had the jab.

Deliveroo Australia chief executive officer Ed McManus told news.com.au: "It's been a very difficult situation for operators both financially and from a mental health standpoint and when I speak to restaurant owners the major thing I'm hearing is even with growing vaccination rates there is uncertainty about the future.

"It's not really a surprise that some people working in that frontline might want the confidence to know that the person they're serving has had two shots.

"Everyone's talking about a vaccine passport for travel to different countries but is there a version of the vaccine passport that allows you to go to sporting events where there'll be crowds or to attend a restaurant?

"Those are not questions for today, because right now we need to get the vaccination rates up, but that's something I think we will need to consider as a society."

Deliveroo's study was compiled before New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia went into their respective lockdowns.

Victoria and SA have since been released from the stay-at-home orders, however NSW has been told to stick to the rules for at least another four weeks.

There's no doubt hospitality owners affected by the lockdowns will be desperate for the vaccination rate to increase so that their business doesn't continue to suffer.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Australia