Ten hospitality businesses will receive COVID fines after weekend compliance activities conducted by the Department of Customer Service found a host of serious breaches of the public health orders.
Inspectors from Liquor & Gaming NSW, SafeWork NSW and NSW Fair Trading visited 410 licensed venues and other hospitality premises, issuing $50,000 in penalty infringement notices for breaches of COVID safety.
These COVID fines are additional to the four already issued by Liquor & Gaming, bringing the total number of fines issued by the Department of Customer Service to $70,000.
These 10 pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants will receive COVID fines of $5000 each:
- Mapo Galbi Korean BBQ - Gosford
- Natapit Samintkaew - Central Coast
- Thai Thyme - Erina
- Hero Sushi - Erina
- Heart 2 Heart - Cumberland
- Master Hot Pot - Cumberland
- Tamworth Service Club - Tamworth
- Greyhound Social Club Ltd - Yagoona
- Hurlstone Park Hotel - Hurlstone Park
- Kingswood Hotel - Kingswood
Most of the breaches related to not having a COVID-19 Safety Plan, non-compliant record keeping and a lack of appropriate physical distancing.
Liquor & Gaming is today working with NSW Police after receiving footage of a long queue of pub goers waiting to enter Killara’s Greengate Hotel.
Nine News cameras caught patrons queuing outside the pub on Sydney’s Upper North Shore, ignoring social distancing.
Nine News reporter Damian Ryan told 2GB: “There was probably 80 to 100 people outside the pub, and it was very reminiscent of what we saw at the Golden Sheaf (below).
“The majority were just shoulder-to-shoulder. The damage is done: if there hadn’t been a cameraman there, and they weren’t brought to account, it would’ve probably persisted for the evening.”
Executive Director of Compliance, Peter Dunphy, said: “It beggars belief that anyone would want to eat, drink and mingle, shoulder to shoulder with others during a pandemic.
“On Friday the mandatory COVID safety measures were expanded from pubs to cover all hospitality venues and that message was communicated loud and clear.
“Pubs, clubs, bars, casinos, cafes and restaurants are high risk for COVID transmission. They are subject to public health order conditions specifically designed to keep them open and keep our communities safe.
“It is public knowledge that COVID clusters have spread rapidly at restaurants and jumped from suburb to suburb. The measures have not been taken in vain – they are vital protections for workers and customers.
“We all need to play it safer – businesses as well as customers.”
Visit nsw.gov.au to find out what the rules are. Download and implement your plan and register as COVID safe.
“You never know who is filming or taking photos or when police and inspectors might visit your business,” Dunphy said.
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